Golf

MRI scans confirm no new injury for Rory McIlroy

World number two suffered ‘low grade response’ to previous rib problem at Players

MRI scans have confirmed Rory McIlroy did not suffer a fresh rib injury at the Players Championship. Photograph: Sam Greenwood/Getty

Tue May 16 2017 - 07:32

World number two Rory McIlroy has not suffered a fresh injury to his ribs, a scan has confirmed.

The 28-year-old, whose season was disrupted by stress fracture to his ribs earlier in the year, felt discomfort during the Players Championship over the weekend.

However scans have shown that the pain he felt at Sawgrass was a “low grade response” to his previous injury and is not set to keep him out for any length of time.

McIlroy will now rest and decide early next week whether he is fit enough to compete in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, which starts on May 25th.

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The European Tour tweeted on Monday night: “Rory McIlroy has confirmed an MRI today showed no new injury but a “low grade response” to previous injury.”

MEanwhile Ian Poulter has accepted an invitation from the European Tour to play at the Wentworth

The 41-year-old Englishman, who finished runner-up at the Players Championship, will take part in the flagship event.

He tweeted: “Thanks for the invite & help EuropeanTour.. excited to now be playing #BMWPGA. Heard good things about the west course. See you in a week.”

Poulter's career was at crisis point recently after he slipped from a career-high of fifth in the world to 197th following a foot injury and just three weeks ago had seemingly lost his PGA Tour card until fellow professional Brian Gay alerted officials to a discrepancy in the points structure used for players competing on major medical extensions.

He was given a reprieve until the end of the season and made the most of it at Sawgrass, finishing three shots behind champion Kim Si-woo to post his best finish since November 2014.

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