Rory McIlroy says he sustained a wrist injury before DP World Tour Championship

Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy is facing a challenging battle with a wrist injury. He said the injury happened just weeks before the DP World Tour Championship, the final event of the 2023 DP World Tour season.

McIlroy, who had already secured a fifth Race to Dubai title, revealed the setback as he navigated through the championship rounds at Jumeirah Golf Estates. McIlroy's performance in the early rounds, marked by scores of 71 and 72, left him out of contention heading into the weekend.

McIlroy last featured at the Ryder Cup and has struggled to find his rhythm since then owing to the wrist injury that hampered his practice routine at home.

"I haven't done much at all after the Ryder Cup. You know, tried to put in a little bit of practice over the last couple of weeks. But I sort of jammed my wrist, as well, a couple of weeks ago, and that sort of limited how many balls I hit, too. Yeah, just sort of came in not as prepared as I could have been or should have been, but feel like I'm starting to find my feet a little bit after a few days," said Rory McIlroy (via Golf Monthly).

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"I go out there and try to do my absolute best," says Rory McIlroy battling a wrist injury

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his second shot on the 3rd hole during the round two of the DP World Tour Championship (Image via AP Photo)

Rory McIlroy, despite his injury, is still eager to be at his best and continue performing as per his lofty standards.

Paired with his Ryder Cup teammate Matt Fitzpatrick, the duo had an exceptional play on the back nine, both shooting 5-under in the third round. It marked a significant turnaround for McIlroy, who finished the day with a birdie and an eagle, moving to eight-under.

“Fitz and I sort of had it going on the back nine there, we both shot 5-under, which for me is a nice turnaround from how I played the back nine the first two days. It was a good score. For me I felt like it was similar enough the last couple days but I just didn’t make any mistakes, and then it was obviously really nice to finish the way I did with the birdie on 17," added McIlroy.

Approaching the last round of the year, McIlroy admitted that his expectations were tempered coming into the week. But, he emphasized his commitment to giving his best every time he steps on the course.

“It’s the last round of the year. Go out and try to shoot a good score and get myself a decent finish. Yeah, I would say, as well, coming into the week, already having wrapped up The Race to Dubai, I’d say my expectation levels weren’t super high. But still, every day I go out there, I go out there and try to do my absolute best. It was nice to play a little bit more like me today," McIllroy said.