McIlroy’s nemesis handed dangerous news weeks earlier than the Masters with well being replace

Rory McIlroy’s golf rival and fellow main winner Wyndham Clark has had his desires of competing in The Masters subsequent month put into query because of a severe harm.

The present US Open champion has shared that he is scuffling with a regarding again challenge forward of the Houston Open at Memorial Park on Thursday. This week, the 30 yr previous may solely observe his chipping and placing.

Clark kicked off the season with a win on the ATandT Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, which was shortened because of rain. He then secured second place twice, on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players.

The late-bloomer triggered an enormous stir in golf final yr when he appeared to name out McIlroy after becoming a member of the elite bracket of main winners, by expressing his perception that he was higher than the Northern Irishman throughout an interview with Golf Channel.

After rising to fourth within the Official World Golf Ranking, the three-time PGA Tour winner is getting ready for his first look at The Masters at Augusta National subsequent month.

Most bookmakers have priced Clark at 25/1 for the yr’s first main, inserting him tenth within the betting. However, they are going to be intently watching his efficiency on the Memorial Park Golf Course in Texas this week to see how his physique copes over 4 rounds.

Despite his again challenge, Clark stays hopeful after bringing in his medical workforce. But followers are possible frightened that he will not be at his greatest when The Masters begins in simply two weeks.

“I threw [my back] out,” Clark revealed on Wednesday. “I was in pretty bad shape yesterday, but luckily, I have a fantastic team that has helped me to be able to swing and hit.

The American star arrived early on Wednesday morning, in order to get some extra preparation under way.

He added: “I may solely actually chip and putt, then I did plenty of rehab and I used to be capable of hit balls in the present day. So simply in a short while I’ve improved lots and I feel I’ll be prepared for tomorrow.”

Clark has quickly become one of the top players on the PGA Tour over the last year.

He was a highly-rated talent when he first joined the tour in 2018, but it took him a while to find his feet at this level. However, he put everything together in 2023 and made his breakthrough with an impressive four-shot win at the Wells Fargo Championship in May.

Just over a month later, he was the US Open champion, beating McIlroy by one shot at Los Angeles Country Club.

He finished third in the FedEx Cup and earned a spot in the United States Ryder Cup team, scoring 1.5 points from three matches in a losing effort in Rome.

Clark has shown that his success was not a one-off with a strong start to 2024, and aside from his injury worry he is pleased with how his game is progressing.

The US Open winner added: “I’ve been enjoying some good golf coming off two second-places, and should you take Scottie Scheffler out of the sector I may need two wins, so I’ve performed rather well and I be ok with my sport.”