Rory McIlroy had a difficult time last week during the 2026 Players Championship. A back muscle spasm experienced during the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational completely derailed McIlroy’s preparations to defend his title at the TPC Sawgrass. The 2025 Masters winner withdrew from the API before round 3 began, and while he participated in the Players last week, he was not in his best condition and only barely made the cut.
The golfer finished his campaign at TPC Sawgrass with a total score of even par, tied for 46th position. Interestingly, while McIlroy claimed to feel good near the end of the tournament, the golfer has taken his name back from the 2026 Valspar Championship. According to reports, his absence from the Copperhead Golf Course this week is due to back difficulties and muscular spasms.
During the 2026 Players Championship, Rory McIlroy also stated that his back is not entirely supporting him and that he experiences some issues when the ball is near his foot or while chipping. The golfer’s performance throughout the event vouches for this, and he even admitted in an interview that, despite having only 5 days away from the game, he felt rusty on the course.
On top of all of this, McIlroy will have a significant task in a few weeks when he defends his championship at Augusta National beginning April 9. The golfer may also be prepping for that event, as he mentioned it during the post-tournament news conference at the 2026 Players Championship.
Rory McIlroy is uncertain about his availability before the 2026 Masters
When asked whether he feels prepared for the Masters this year, Rory McIlroy gave a limbo response. The golfer added that he has not made up his mind and will only decide whether or not to participate in another tournament after practice rounds. According to Asap Sports, the Northern Irish 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. I feel like it was important to make the weekend here and play an extra couple of days. But yeah, really just see how the next week goes, see how once I get back to actually a full practice schedule and in the gym and stuff like that, see how my body reacts to that, and then I’ll see.”
There are around three weeks until the 2026 Masters, and while McIlroy will not compete in the Valspar Championship, he still has two more competitions to prepare for defending the season’s first golf major.
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