Rory McIlroy Ruptures Tendon, Out of British Open + Longer?

[acetoolguy]

Most pro sport team contracts have language limiting the off field activities of players. Not just other sports but motorcycle riding, sky diving and standing between me and the buffet. It will at the least affect how much of the salary the team will pay. The difference here is that golfers are all independent contactors, not part of a team. If he cant play he and his caddy will take the hit, though I bet his caddy could get on a bag pretty quick.

[Scotsclaff]

Camon Rory ,it's only a sprained ankle.

[ChrisP]

Camon Rory ,it's only a sprained ankle.

It's actually a ruptured ankle...which is 10 times worse.

[Scotsclaff]

It's actually a ruptured ankle...which is 10 times worse.

LOL.

Where are all the real men nowadays.

[jbishop15]

LOL. Where are all the real men nowadays.

Are you messing with us? Regardless, even playing golf on a sprained ankle would be pretty damn tough.

[ChrisP]

It really is a shame. This was poised to be one of the best leadup to a major in years. You had Jordan going for the Grand Slam, Rory with a solid shot at defending and Tiger starting to show promise and form as he goes to a place he's had a lot of success. Obviously #1 and #3 are still big story lines, but Rory not playing takes the air out of the excitement a bit. Too bad. Our hope of a Jordan-Rory showdown will have to wait.

[RGoosen]

I'm not a doctor either but I've rolled my share of ankles and I'll bet he ends up just taping it up and he plays in the Open. He's not going to miss that, he'd have to wait 5 more years until it comes back. He's got ten days to get ready. It's not like he doesn't already know the course.

Plus it's not like he's a "Johnny Miller left ankle roller" anyway.

I think folks will be surprised that 1) he plays and 2) plays pretty well. It's amazing how stable a taped ankle feels when, without taping, it feels pretty wobbly.

Coming from an Orthopaedic background I would say it is highly unlikely he will be able to effectively compete in the British Open.

In my experience with my patients:

1) Mild sprains - ankle brace, RICE, and home exercise program.  Return to sports when you can run without a limp.

2) Moderate to Severe sprains - boot or cast for 10-14 days, then RICE and physical therapy that can take weeks to months to fully recover

In addition, I get my patients off crutches ASAP unless there is a unstable fracture.  Remaining non-weight bearing for too long will cause osteopenia and make the bone weaker.

Rory is talented enough to limp around St. Andrews with his current injury with his ankle taped and he "might" make the cut.

Expecting a top 10 finish is unrealistic.

[iacas]

I'm pretty sure many professional teams ask or demand their players not play any other sport while in season.

Not the same situation at all. Rory is his own team owner. He is not being paid by someone else - he's the one making the contract with himself.

Play soccer all you want just not right before a major? Seems like a no duh moment to me.

There's always a fairly important golf tournament coming up. Maybe not, what, December? Race to Dubai, the FedExCup, Ryder Cup, etc. The golf season is long. What, he's only allowed to enjoy life for two weeks in late December?

Injuries happen. I'm glad he was enjoying his life and his friends. Makes me like him a little bit more.

What I'm saying is that to me this is like Tom Brady playing a pickup basketball game in the week leading up to the Super Bowl.

It's not. Tom Brady has a team. If he was injured he'd be affecting teammates, owners, coaches, etc. Rory's just affecting himself and, what, his caddie?

If his sponsors wanted to pay extra to add such a restriction to his contract, they could have. They chose not to (so far as we all know right now).

[RGoosen]

I wonder if he will join my injured and addicted to golf thread.... This could have happened anywhere. Instant surgery will benefit him. Regular joes walk on something like this causing a lot of degeneration before addressing it, by then it is too late.

If his ATF ligament is truly "completely torn", it would seem logical to suture it together surgically.  However, the orthopaedic research/literature/journals have shown poor outcomes in patients that have had surgery for ATF ligament tears.  Apparently it causes a significant reduction in range of motion.  As a result, it has to heal on its own and would likely take months to fully heal.  The big question is it truly "completely torn"?  That will indicate how long it will take.

Its frustrating for me b/c he is definitely in my top 5 players to watch.  Oh well...there goes 2015 for Rory.  Crossing my fingers for Whistling Straits.

[RJH999]

Not the same situation at all. Rory is his own team owner. He is not being paid by someone else - he's the one making the contract with himself. There's always a fairly important golf tournament coming up. Maybe not, what, December? Race to Dubai, the FedExCup, Ryder Cup, etc. The golf season is long. What, he's only allowed to enjoy life for two weeks in late December? Injuries happen. I'm glad he was enjoying his life and his friends. Makes me like him a little bit more. It's not. Tom Brady has a team. If he was injured he'd be affecting teammates, owners, coaches, etc. Rory's just affecting himself and, what, his caddie? If his sponsors wanted to pay extra to add such a restriction to his contract, they could have. They chose not to (so far as we all know right now).

Word.

[teeitup22]

Why dumb? He's not allowed to do anything but play golf? He's not allowed to have friends and do activities with them? It's unfortunate, but it happens.

If I was the number one player in the world and getting ready for one of the biggest tournaments of the year I don't think I would play in a competitve soccer game. I don't know how competitive they got, but I would limit myself to just kicking the ball back and forth with friends.

[isukgolf]

Glad to see Rory puts life ahead of golf. He is young and should enjoy every freaking minute of what he has built. There will be lots of golf ahead of him.

[Valleygolfer]

If his ATF ligament is truly "completely torn", it would seem logical to suture it together surgically.  However, the orthopaedic research/literature/journals have shown poor outcomes in patients that have had surgery for ATF ligament tears.  Apparently it causes a significant reduction in range of motion.  As a result, it has to heal on its own and would likely take months to fully heal.  The big question is it truly "completely torn"?  That will indicate how long it will take. Its frustrating for me b/c he is definitely in my top 5 players to watch.  Oh well...there goes 2015 for Rory.  Crossing my fingers for Whistling Straits.

If it is a rupture, the only healing to be done will be a decrease in edema and possibly scar tissue. Then he will be left with instability of the area. At this rate the question would be long term wear due to the lack of supporting structure. Which is worse, long term excessive motion or limited mobility with support? Personal experience with a ligament tear which was not repaired has me wishing I had surgery when the tear occurred because of lack of support and degenerative properties.

[iacas]

If I was the number one player in the world and getting ready for one of the biggest tournaments of the year I don't think I would play in a competitve soccer game. I don't know how competitive they got, but I would limit myself to just kicking the ball back and forth with friends.

He was injured just running though. He wasn't even injured, according to the reports, kicking or doing anything soccer-like. He was just running.

[newtogolf]

If I was the number one player in the world and getting ready for one of the biggest tournaments of the year I don't think I would play in a competitve soccer game. I don't know how competitive they got, but I would limit myself to just kicking the ball back and forth with friends.

He could have been squatting and blown out a knee or dead lifting and hurt his back or tore a hamstring while running, athletes tend to lead active lifestyles and can get injured from time to time.   These guys can't wrap themselves up in bubble wrap and wait until the next tournament.  He's probably played soccer with his buddies fairly frequently and never been injured so it's not fair to expect him to now apply 20/20 hindsight.

If you want to talk about stupid and avoidable injuries, how about the Giants, Jason Pierre Paul who burned and damaged nerves in his hand playing with fireworks...

[Aguirre]

Rory McIlroy is not under contract with a team.  He is an independent contractor who plays golf.  I do not understand this pervasive public opinion that athletes should be using every waking second of their lives devoted to their craft.  I imagine if Jordan Spieth eats some sushi and gets food poisoning on the eve of his first round of the Open Championship, some jackwagon will climb out of his hole to criticize him about eating raw fish in Scotland.

Like when Tony Romo gets flack for playing golf in May.  He should be studying film!  As if he needs to spend 16 hours a day staring at incompetent Jaguars cornerbacks.

It just sucks for us golf fans.  But Rory--good as he is--is not Tiger in his prime.  He could easily have played and finished a ho-hum T15.

[jbishop15]

He could have been squatting and blown out a knee or dead lifting and hurt his back or tore a hamstring while running, athletes tend to lead active lifestyles and can get injured from time to time.   These guys can't wrap themselves up in bubble wrap and wait until the next tournament.  He's probably played soccer with his buddies fairly frequently and never been injured so it's not fair to expect him to now apply 20/20 hindsight.

If you want to talk about stupid and avoidable injuries, how about the Giants, Jason Pierre Paul who burned and damaged nerves in his hand playing with fireworks...

Yup. Gotta live your life. Like Iacas said, this actually makes me like him a little more.

[ChrisP]

It just sucks for us golf fans.  But Rory--good as he is--is not Tiger in his prime.  He could easily have played and finished a ho-hum T15.

I disagree to an extent. I think Rory at the top of his game could go toe-to-toe with Tiger in his prime, probably beat him some of the time. I think Rory's A-game is that good. The putter is what lets him down a lot. We just don't get Rory at the top of his game as much we did Tiger at the top.