Rory McIlroy withdraws from The Open at St Andrews next week due to the ruptured ligament in his left ankle

  • Rory McIlroy withdraws from his defence of the The Open at St Andrews
  • World No 1 McIlroy ruptured an ankle ligament playing football with friends
  • He broke the news on Instagram while backing Andy Murray for Wimbledon

Rory McIlroy has bowed to the inevitable and officially withdrawn from The Open at St Andrews next week. He will be the first champion not to defend his title since American Ben Hogan elected not to cross the Atlantic in 1954.

It's a bitter blow to the world No 1 given it is taking place on his favourite golf course — and also to the many thousands who have bought tickets in the expectation of watching him compete.

But, from the moment he announced on Monday that he had ruptured ankle ligaments playing five-a-side football his prospects were bleak, and a resigned McIlroy accepted his fate with an Instagram post on Wednesday.

Rory McIlroy posted the above image on Instagram revealing he will not compete at St Andrews next week

Rory McIlroy posted the above image on Instagram revealing he will not compete at St Andrews next week

McIlroy posted this picture on his Instagram account on Monday revealing his ankle ligament injury

McIlroy posted this picture on his Instagram account on Monday revealing his ankle ligament injury

McIlroy initially refused to rule himself out of The Open, but has now withdrawn to allow his ankle to heal

McIlroy initially refused to rule himself out of The Open, but has now withdrawn to allow his ankle to heal

The fact he has announced it so early suggests this won't be the end of the bad news either, and that he's facing a bleak summer on the sidelines.

McIlroy should defend his Bridgestone Invitational title at the end of this month, followed by the USPGA Championship, but is clearly in a race against time to be fit for either assignment.

Under a photograph of him watching Andy Murray at Wimbledon, McIlroy wrote: 'After much consideration I have decided not to play in the Open at St. Andrews. I'm taking a long term view of this injury and, although rehab is progressing well, I want to come back to tournament play when I feel 100 per cent healthy and competitive... in the meantime, come on Andy!!'

And come on the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open as well — which starts today at glorious Gullane — and where the responsibility of applying stardust now falls heavily on defending champion Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson. When last in Scotland at the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles Mickelson ended his week with such a skewering of his captain Tom Watson it left a room full of hardened hacks aghast. 

Imagine the reaction, therefore, when he opened his press conference on Wednesday by saying he'd like to talk about the five-time Open Champion. Surely he wasn't going to have another stab at legend-bashing?

'Just about the only thing I would say is that he's one of the greatest champions this game has ever had and I hope next week is a celebration of that greatness,' he said.

'It's his last Open Championship and I'm certainly appreciative of all he's done for the game and that's all I really want to say.'

Have you made your peace then, Phil? He wouldn't go that far. He lavished more praise on Watson the great champion, but the fact he said nothing at all about Watson the man spoke volumes. 

McIlroy won the Claret Jug at The Open for the first time in his career at Royal Liverpool last year 

McIlroy won the Claret Jug at The Open for the first time in his career at Royal Liverpool last year 

But his ankle injury has curtailed his hopes of defending the title, McIlroy revealed on Wednesday

But his ankle injury has curtailed his hopes of defending the title, McIlroy revealed on Wednesday

American golfer Phil Mickelson defended McIlroy during a press conference ahead of the Scottish Open

American golfer Phil Mickelson defended McIlroy during a press conference ahead of the Scottish Open

Mickelson hasn't played since his disappointing performance at the US Open last month, where he never came close to his cherished goal to complete the career grand slam. But that doesn't mean he has been out of the news.

In America a story surfaced that $3million transferred from Mickelson's bank account was part of 'an illegal gambling operation which accepted and placed bets on sporting events,' and led to one man pleading guilty to money laundering.

It should be stressed Mickelson himself has not been charged and is not under investigation, but is he worried about mud sticking?

The 45-year-old told a nice story about over-reacting to a magazine article 20 years ago.

He said: 'We were so immature, but the fact is my wife and I have learned over time that people are going to say things good and bad, and things true and untrue. The fact is I am comfortable enough with who I am as a person, that I don't feel the need to comment on every report that comes out.'

 

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