Rory McIlroy cuts short PGA Championship practice round with blister
Rory McIlroy has cut short a practice round ahead of the PGA Championship due to an ongoing toe blister, though the four-time major champion insists he is fit to compete.
The Northern Irishman was forced to abandon his preparations at Aronimink on Tuesday as he continues to battle the unconventional injury.
It follows a visible limp at the Truist Championship earlier this month, where the golfer first revealed the extent of the problem.
Frustrating foot problem
Speaking at his previous tournament, the former world number one explained the precise nature of the painful issue.
Yeah, I’ve got a blister on my pinky toe. But it’s underneath my nail. So I can’t really get to it.
Despite the physical setback, he remains determined to secure a third PGA Championship title this week.
Echoes of St Andrews absence
The current scare evokes memories of a much more severe injury that forced him to withdraw from The Open Championship in 2015.
Nearly a decade ago, the Ryder Cup star ruptured an ankle ligament while playing football with friends in Northern Ireland.
That freak incident remains the only time in a professional career spanning almost 20 years that he has missed one of golf’s four premium events.
Following widespread criticism at the time, he delivered a defiant response defending his right to a normal life off the course.
I’m not going to stop doing what I do. I enjoy having that normality in my life, something that I’ve done since I was a kid, and I won’t stop doing that.
He explained that the severe ankle sprain occurred simply because his left boot became stuck in the turf during a casual kickabout.
It can happen walking off a tee box. It can happen falling off a curb on the side of the street. It can happen doing anything.
Missing the 2015 tournament at his favourite venue ultimately provided a profound shift in perspective for the global sports star.