Rory, Stressed

Sorry for the late tee time this morning, but real life does get in the way at times...  and since I'll be headed for the dentist's chair in a bit, let's give you something to mull over.

No doubt you've heard the news by now:

Rory McIlroy has withdrawn from the Abu Dhabi Championship this week because of a rib injury. 

The European Tour released a statement on Monday saying the second-ranked McIlroy underwent tests after he was injured during the SA Open and they revealed a stress fracture. 

McIlroy said it was "bitterly disappointing" and "really quite annoying" to miss the tournament, which has the best field of the season on the European Tour.

McIlroy said "in situations like this, you simply have to listen to the experts."

Now, were those the same experts that told you there was no risk of Zika?  OK, never mind....

Are you wondering how this happened?  Rory's got you covered:

"If it’s a muscular thing then it’s just fatigue. I have hit a lot of golf balls over the last four or five weeks, testing equipment, so I think that’s probably just the thing. I have been hitting a lot of drivers, and you put a lot of force on your body when you do that.

Hmmmm, one can't help but wonder.  Let me make a couple of quick points here.  First, I totally get what club-fitting can do a fellow's swing.  i for one stay away from demo days and the like if there's any serious golf to be played....

But, these guys are professionals.  I remember an interview on this subject with Retief Goosen a few years ago.  I was quite startled by his comment that, when testing shafts, he has about three swings to make a decision, because after that he's adjusting his swing to the equipment.

Matt Adams takes time out from his Fairways of Life program to commit an act of journalism, speaking to Dr. Stanley Kunkel, and Indiana orthopedist:

Dr. Sandy Kunkel, Indiana Orthopedic Surgeon, independent examiner for the NFL,

team physician for the Indiana Pacers from 1988 to 2004 and one of the nation’s leading back specialists, said that stress fractures of this nature are “extremely rare” in golfers, even those of McIlroy’s caliber. 

“They are typical in rowing or upper body weight bearing athletes,” Kunkel said. “Stress fractures are caused by an accumulation of micro-trauma. They are tiny fractures or cracks in the bone. Usually the body just heals them. If you do not give it time to heal, it can result in a full fracture. Typically, an injury of this sort will take a minimum of six weeks to heal.”

Did I say Hmmmmmm?  Upper body weight-bearing athletes?  I'm not qualified in this field, but the two golfers most committed to serious lifting seem to be on a run of recurring injuries....  Coincidence?  I don't really believe in coincidences, but perhaps I read too many mysteries....

The good doctor added this:

“The modern golf swing is hard on the body,” he said. "To have athletes in their 20s experiencing these types of injuries is very concerning for the long-term.”

Athletes?  Who else does he have in mind?

Brian Wacker sat in on Rory's photo shoot for Men's Health Magazine and files this interesting report.  

Rory had these comments on the same subject:

"I think from the start of 2011, the direct correlation between leading a healthier lifestyle and my performance on the course was the same. 

"Obviously I'm trying to be strong, but the whole reason I started this is because I was injured."

There's no shortage of people convinced that the changes to Tiger's and Rory's physique's has to be troubling over the long-term, Brandel Chamblee being one of the more outspoken on that subject.  There seems to be a logic to be that the increased muscle mass puts additional strain on the joints and support beams, but I'll admit my ignorance on this.

Tiger's history of injury is troubling, but a.) he's been doing this for a long time and; b.) his swing has always been quite violent, the kind it makes sense would be hard on a body.  Rory, on the other hand, has a long, fluid swing that seems more akin to Phil's....  

The irony, of course, is that they both cite injury protection and/or recovery as the motivation for the heavy gym work.  Stay tuned, as this issue isn't going away anytime soon.

A six-week time frame has been mentioned, but that's not by anybody that's attended to Rory personally.  He's got roughly eleven weeks until Augusta, so the obvious question becomes how much will he be able to play leading up to it....  As for equipment, I'm guessing that's a done deal for the foreseeable future....