Healthy ankle ranks as McIljoy

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. − Who would have thought at this time last year, that Rory McIlroy would so quickly lose his ranking as the No. 1 player in the world?

But with Jordan Spieth’s secondplace finish at the PGA Championship, McIlroy was knocked off the perch he’d been on since winning last year’s WGC Bridgestone Invitational in August.

“Honestly the way Jordan has been playing and the way I haven’t played much this year ... it’s very deservedly so,” he said. “Winning two majors, winning a couple other times this year, had a chance at the Open, has a chance obviously today. I know the golf you have to play to get to that spot, and it has been impressive this year.”

McIlroy, returning from an ankle injury, closed his comeback week with a 3-under 69. At 9-under for the week, he finished 17th, his worst finish in a major since his tie for 23rd at last year’s U.S. Open. But considering his 60-day layoff before playing the PGA, he had to be satisfied.

“If I’m looking at it as a whole, I feel like I’ve done well to come back and shoot the scores that I have,” he said. “I feel like I progressed each and every day.

“Obviously it isn’t a win and (I) didn’t get myself into contention, but considering six weeks ago I wasn’t able to walk, it’s not a bad effort.”

McIlroy experienced no problems with the ankle after coming back a week earlier than most had expected.

“It’s been great, honestly,” he said. “I’ve had no discomfort with it at all.”

His game was just a bit rusty this week, especially on and around the greens. He was 53rd in the field in fairways hit, 15th in greens in regulation, 42nd in scrambling and 67th in strokes gained putting.

“I just need to sharpen up. I feel like ball-striking-wise, tee to green, it’s there. And it’s sort of been there all year. If anything, just around the greens and being more efficient . . . when I give myself opportunities inside, wedges in my hand, got to take advantage of those. That all just comes with playing a bit more.”

McIlroy will skip the Barclays at Plainfield Country Club in two weeks and return at the second FedEx Cup event, the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston.