PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida — Rory McIlroy completely dismisses the theory that players who participate in TGL are more susceptible to back injuries.
McIlroy, who lives in Jupiter, is one of a handful of marquee TGL players who have had back issues, including Collin Morikawa, who withdrew from The Players Championship after just one hole.
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“It’s a little more travel for the guys, a little more,” said McIlroy, a co-founder along with Tiger Woods of the indoor, high-tech league played in Palm Beach Gardens.
“To put it solely on that is preposterous. No,”
McIlroy, the No. 2 player in the world, withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational before the third round and decided the morning of the first round of The Players Championship that he would play.
Rory McIlroy hits from the 15th fairway during the second round of The Players Championship PGA golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
McIlroy shot a 1-under 71 in the second round of The Players on March 13, which should allow him to make the cut at 1-over. He said TGL players are not overswinging because their shot metrics are displayed on the scoreboard.
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“My ball speed on Tour is way faster than it is in TGL,” he said.
McIlroy, Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, Billy Horschel and Justin Thomas are among TGL players who have had back issues since the league’s debut season in 2025.
Rory McIlroy plans to compete in next week’s TGL playoffs
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA – JANUARY 26: Rory McIlroy of Boston Common Golf lines up a putt on the seventh green against The Bay Golf Club at SoFi Center on January 26, 2026 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images)
Barring a setback during the weekend at The Players, McIlroy plans to play in the TGL playoffs, which begin March 17.
But he does not believe we will see a showdown between the two co-founders.
McIlroy’s Boston Common and Woods’ Jupiter Links meet in the semifinals at the SoFi Center, one year after they were the only two teams not to make the playoffs.
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“The plan is hopefully to play,” McIlroy said. “I’ll see how I’m feeling. But yes.”
McIlroy was asked if he believes we’ll see Woods play for the first time this season.
“No. Absolutely, no,” he said. Before adding, “I don’t think so.”
Woods had disc replacement surgery Oct. 10 and was hoping to join his team for at least one match at the end of the season.
The winner of the Jupiter-Boston TGL semifinal faces the winner of the Atlanta Drive-Los Angeles Golf Club semifinal in the best-of-3 finals that start March 23.
Although Tiger has yet to play, he has attended every Jupiter match this season.
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Rory McIlroy dismisses TGL back injury claims
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