The domino effect of Rory McIlroy's injury
— -- Rory McIlroy is on crutches, his left foot is in a boot, and the opportunity for him to kick tail next week at the Open Championship is very much in doubt because he was kicking around a soccer ball this past weekend.
The injury obviously comes at a lousy time for McIlroy. The No. 1-ranked player in the world would not have been a surprise to defend his title at the home of golf, the Old Course at St. Andrews, where he holds a share of the Open Championship scoring record of 63.
It's a blow to golf fans, too, who could be deprived -- at least in the near term -- of the McIlroy- Jordan Spieth rivalry at a place where it is quite possible those storylines would have converged. (McIlroy's camp said Monday it would not know until the end of the week whether he'll play at the Open.)
And it's not great for Spieth, either. Even though the No. 2 golfer in the world conceivably has an easier path to the Claret Jug and a third straight major championship this year, the spotlight will clearly shift to Spieth in Rory's potential absence.
Spieth's Grand Slam quest is not getting the play it deserves. He is just the fourth player since 1960 -- following Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods -- to win the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year. But with McIlroy possibly out of the picture, Spieth's quest for such rare glory undoubtedly becomes the only big story. He will attempt to win a third straight major at a place where he has played just a single round of golf, presumably after he flies overnight Sunday to arrive at St. Andrews on Monday morning and begins a hasty Old Course crash course prior to the first round on July 16.
McIlroy needs no such introduction to the world's oldest championship venue. He shot 63 in the first round of the 2010 Open, and although he shot a wind-blown 80 in the second round, McIlroy rebounded to tie for third.
He first played the Old Course in 2005 as an amateur in the St. Andrews Links Trophy and said he hated it. But over time, his affection grew, partly due to gaining perspective and experience.
"Thought it was the worst golf course I've ever played," McIlroy said last year. "I just stood up on every tee and was like, 'What is the fascination about this place?' But the more you play it and the more you learn about the golf course and the little nuances, you learn to appreciate it. Now it's my favorite golf course in the world."
Although McIlroy has played just the one Open at St. Andrews in 2010, he has played in the Dunhill Links Championship (a pro-am format with two rounds on the Old Course) six times, including last year, when he shot a third-round 64 and ended up tied for second overall in the tournament. That gives him 16 total professional rounds at St. Andrews.
The torn ligaments in his ankle might not just keep him out of the Open, but could hinder his ability to defend his titles at the WGC-Bridgestone and next month's PGA Championship, where the venue is Whistling Straits, another place where he contended in 2010.
However the next few weeks plays out, it is mighty unfortunate. For McIlroy. For Spieth. For golf fans.
