Wentworth doubts for both McIlroy and Willett ahead of the BMW PGA
DANNY WILLETT and Rory McIlroy are major doubts for the BMW PGA Championship after suffering from ongoing back problems at the Players Championship.
Willett admitted his body and mind need a rest after being forced to withdraw from the £8.1-million event, the former Masters champion retiring after nine holes of Friday’s second round.
McIlroy revealed he would have an MRI scan tomorrow to determine the extent of his own back problem, with the world No. 2 admitting the “most important thing” is to be fit for June’s US Open.
The BMW PGA Championship takes place in a fortnight’s time and has a prize fund of £5.4million as the first event of the European Tour’s Rolex Series.
“Hopefully, touch wood,” Willett said when asked about his prospects of competing at Wentworth. “We’ll see how things go.
“I’ve already limited the schedule down a lot. Hopefully, all going well, we get back on. We have a week to do some work and see how it feels.”
Willett, hampered by back problems throughout his career, struggled to an opening 79 and covered the back nine at Sawgrass in 40 before calling it a day.
The 29-year-old from Sheffield wrote on Twitter: “Not good to have to withdraw but swinging very poorly is putting a lot of unwanted strain on the back . . . body and mind need a rest!!”
Willett has slipped from a career-high of ninth in the world to his current position of 21st after a string of poor results, including becoming the first defending champion since Mike Weir in 2004 to miss the cut at Augusta National.
He also made an early exit from his next event in the RBC Heritage, where he split with long-time caddie Jonathan Smart after the first round.
McIlroy’s injury is a recurrence of the back and rib problem which kept him out for seven weeks at the start of the season, although he was able to add a 71 to his opening 73 to finish level par alongside Masters champion Sergio Garcia and world number one Dustin Johnson.
“I hit a couple of tee shots practising on Monday and just didn’t feel right and I’ve been getting treatment on it,” McIlroy said. “We just hope it’s not the same thing, the joint and the rib.
“It feels more like a muscle strain so I’m going to get an MRI scan after the tournament and I might have to rest for a week or two.
“As long as I get myself right for the US Open, that’s the most important thing.”