“I can't swing my irons the way I want” - Rory McIlroy gives concerning update on his back injury after second round at the Tour Championship

Rory McIlroy is dealing with a back ailment as he prepares to defend his Tour Championship title this week at East Lake Golf Club. He hurt his lower back while exercising at home on Tuesday, August 22, which affected his performance at the final FedEx Cup event.

McIlroy shot an even-par round in the first round on Thursday, August 24, then improved on Friday. However, he is having a hard time hitting the ball.

In a post-round press conference on Friday, the World No. 2 golfer discussed his back injury and confessed that he can't swing his irons the way he wants to and is having issues turning his right side through the ball. McIlroy said:

“Yeah, I can't hit the ball left-to-right and -- yeah, I can't swing my irons the way I want to. I can't turn my right side through the ball. So from the top of the swing I'm just sort of throwing my arms at it and it's a lot of face rotation and I can only really hit it one way with the irons."

He added:

"I can't hit the driver the way I usually do. Like, teeing it up I'm teeing it down and just hitting a sort of flat little runner down there. So, yeah, look, a little limited to the shots that I can hit, but I'm getting by."

Rory McIlroy had to settle for a score of under 10 in solo seventh position. He played two rounds of 70-67.

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Rory McIlroy's performance at the 2023 Tour Championship

McIlroy entered the star-studded field at the 2023 Tour Championship on Thursday, August 24. As the golfer was struggling with his back injury, he found the going hard.

McIlroy made two bogeys on the front nine of the opening round and started the second half of the round with a birdie on the 10th hole. However, he again made a bogey on the 11th hole and then made a birdie on the 13th and two back-to-back birdies on the 15th and 16th holes. This was followed by a bogey on the final hole for a score of 70.

Rory McIlroy made par on the first four holes of the second round, which was followed by two back-to-back birdies on the fifth and sixth holes. He then canned two birdies and one bogey in the second half of the round to settle for a score of 67.

McIlroy sits in seventh place after the first 36 holes. He will resume play on Saturday, August 26, six strokes behind leaders Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland.

The third round of the 2023 Tour championship is scheduled to start at 12:21 p.m. ET. Taylor Moore and Emiliano Grillo will take the first shot of the day followed by Jordan Spieth and Si Woo Kim, who will tee off at 12:32 p.m.

Rory McIlroy will pair up with the 2023 US Open winner Wyndham Clark and tee off at 2:27 p.m.