With the world’s top golfers now meticulously planning their calendar around the four majors, any absence is a blow.
After sitting out last week’s HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship with the stress fracture to his ribs picked up in South Africa, Rory McIlroy last night confirmed he’ll also have to miss the Dubai Desert Classic next week.
On a personal level, it’s one McIlroy will be frustrated to sit out.
It’s where he tasted his first professional win in 2009, going on to win it once again in 2015.
But on a professional level, it’s looking like an even bigger blow.
The early year tournaments in the Emirates are a huge part of the Masters build-up, and it’s where McIlroy will have been aiming to fine-tune his game ahead of taking another crack at the Green Jacket that has eluded him so far.
It’s also coming at a time when McIlroy would hope to be getting to grips – quite literally – with a new set of clubs, and he's even admitted that the extra hours spent out on the range testing the equipment may have contributed to the injury.
Rory McIlroy believes exhaustive club testing last month has caused his back problems in South Africa ... https://t.co/hxz3UOFK1h pic.twitter.com/SWWJ21YTZh
— Sky Sports Golf ðŸŒâ›³ï¸ (@SkySportsGolf) January 14, 2017
With a further two to three weeks absence expected for the world number two, he’ll be heading into the Augusta run-up having missed several big tournaments, and with a bag full of relatively new clubs.
The silver lining - if we’re to search for it - is how well he played while carrying the injury in South Africa.
Whether or not he can carry that form back into his return, only time will tell.
