Rory McIlroy Eyes Masters as Next Event, Doubtful for Pre-Augusta Play

Rory McIlroy indicated he will likely not compete again before the Masters. He reported feeling no lingering issues from his back injury following his Boston Common Golf team's loss to Tiger Woods' Jupiter Links in the TGL Playoffs in Florida.

The reigning Masters champion is scheduled to announce his Champions Dinner menu during an upcoming media teleconference, as he prepares for his title defense at Augusta National, set for April 9-12.

After placing 46th at The Players on Sunday, McIlroy had previously stated he was undecided about participating in any events prior to the Masters, which is three weeks away.

However, it now seems he has decided against it, having reported no fatigue despite his Boston Common team (McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott) losing 9-5 to Jupiter's Akshay Bhatia, Tom Kim, and Max Homa at the SoFi Centre in Palm Beach Gardens.

"I felt fine," McIlroy commented on his energy, especially after a demanding week at TPC Sawgrass, where he played without a practice round due to a back injury that forced his withdrawal from the Arnold Palmer Invitational nine days earlier.

He added, "I was a little concerned, having been on painkillers and anti-inflammatories all last week, about how I would feel coming off them on Monday. But I felt fine yesterday, and I feel fine today. So, thankfully, that wasn't an issue."

Regarding participation in the Texas Children's Houston Open next week or the Valero Texas Open the week before the Masters, McIlroy expressed confidence that he wouldn't need to add another tournament to his schedule.

"I believe the Masters will be my next event," he confirmed, "and I have a Zoom press conference tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. to unveil the menu."

Turning to Tiger Woods, who had previously indicated at the Genesis Invitational that a Masters return was not ruled out, the 15-time Major winner now sounded less optimistic about competing at Augusta National this year.

"I've been working on it," Woods stated after supporting his team. "Some days are good, some are bad. Disc replacement isn't enjoyable," he noted, referring to the procedure Will Zalatoris underwent for two levels, emphasizing that it requires significant recovery time.

"As I've mentioned, I've had numerous procedures before this, so my body doesn't heal or bounce back like it did when I was 24. There are good days when I can do almost anything, and then there are other days where even moving around is difficult."

Jupiter Links is set to face Los Angeles Golf Club, who defeated Atlanta Drive GC 6-4, in the TGL final on March 25. However, it seems improbable that Woods will play in that match.

"I've been trying to play in every one of these matches," said Woods (50), whose last official event was The Open at Royal Troon in 2024. "I've been attempting a comeback, but it just hasn't materialized. I experienced a series of injuries last year. It's been just over a year since my Achilles injury, followed by two back operations. It's been a challenging recovery."

"However, with this team, we have so much fun, and I really don't want to disrupt the lineup; I just want these guys to continue playing."