Rory McIlroy has ruled himself out of the Open Championship, two days after he announced that he had ruptured a ligament in his left ankle.
The world No. 1 posted a photo of his foot in an air cast on Instagram with the caption: “After much consideration, I have decided not to play in the Open Championship 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% healthy and 100% competitive. Thank you all for your support and best wishes. I hope to be back on the course as soon as I can.”
McIlroy has not offered a timetable for his return. He was scheduled to play four events in a six-week span, a run that included two majors and a World Golf Championships event.
The R&A released a statement via Twitter that read: “We are naturally very disappointed that Rory will be unable to defend his title at St Andrews next week. Rory will play in many more Open Championships and our primary concern is for his complete recovery. Everyone associated with the Open wishes Rory the very best as he looks to return to full fitness.”
On Monday, McIlroy revealed that he had suffered a “total rupture” of a ligament in his left ankle while playing football with friends on July 4. He withdrew from this week’s Scottish Open but said that he was taking the situation “day by day.”
McIlroy’s next scheduled start is his title defense at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, which begins on August 6. The PGA Championship at Whistling Straits is August 13-16.