After Rory McIlroy withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational 2026 due to a back injury, his participation in The Players Championship was filled with uncertainty. However, McIlroy didn’t just participate in the competition at TPC Sawgrass, but made the cut and finished T46.
While the Northern Irishman had a decent outing despite issues with his back, he has now provided a major update on his road to The Masters at Augusta. As per McIlroy, he’s unsure of playing another event before The Masters begins. McIlroy said:
“I’ll see. I haven’t really made a decision either way. I’ll see how my body feels. We’ll see how I feel in practice and at home, and if I get itchy feet at home maybe add an event at some point.” [H/T Golf Digest]
The Masters 2026 is indeed an important tournament for Rory McIlroy and his legacy. Last year, McIlroy won the competition by beating Justin Rose and completed his Career Grand Slam. This year, McIlroy’s sights will be set on defending the title and adding back-to-back Masters wins to his resume.
What did Rory McIlroy say about competing at The Players Championship 2026?
A T46 finish at The Players Championship is what many golfers would celebrate if they had to face the unfortunate circumstances Rory McIlroy had to face leading up to the event. However, what McIlroy said after looking back at his performance gives a glimpse of his fierce and competitive mindset.
First, McIlroy mentioned what he did well, but later went on to point out what went wrong. In retrospect of the four rounds he played at TPC Sawgrass, McIlroy said he didn’t have the week he wanted. The 5-time Major winner said:
“I hit the ball well. I just didn’t make anything on the greens. A couple little things to work on, but overall, not the week that I wanted.”
While Rory McIlroy admitted he did not have the week he wanted, he also expressed happiness over getting through four rounds of golf. He said:
“I’m happy I got through four days, and my body feels good,” McIlroy said. “I feel like my game sort of progressively got a little bit better as the week went on, even though the scores probably didn’t reflect it over the weekend. I feel like it was important to make the weekend here and play an extra couple of days.”
So far in 2026, Rory McIlroy has yet to win a tournament. If McIlroy is able to recover properly and play at The Masters at Augusta, then McIlroy would be a favorite to get his first win of 2026, and second ever Masters win.