The ‘scary’ injury Rory McIlroy suffered at 19 which saw him warned his golfing career may only last a handful of years

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For many, Rory McIlroy is seen as the blueprint for what an elite golfer should be.

Rory McIlroy has been golf’s biggest superstar since Tiger Woods was at his peak. The Northern Irishman has won four major titles, six Order of Merit crowns on the DP World Tour, and is the only player to have won the FedEx Cup on three occasions.

Of course, McIlroy should have won more majors. There is almost no question that the psychological burden of waiting for major number five – and potentially the Masters victory which would complete the career grand slam – has taken its toll.

But the 35-year-old remains one of the best players on the planet. And while the elite players seem to be getting younger and younger, it seems that McIlroy has plenty more still to give before he approaches the twilight of his career at the highest level.

The injury concern which threatened to derail Rory McIlroy’s career

However, things could have been very different for McIlroy had he not dealt with an injury he picked up in the early stages of his career.

McIlroy turned professional as an 18-year-old. And speaking to WHOOP in 2020, he shared how it was not long at all before he was warned that his days as a professional may be numbered.

“I had back problems when I was 18 or 19. I had a herniated disc, L4-L5, and I was told when I was 19 that if I didn’t sort this out, if I didn’t get stronger, if I wasn’t more diligent on the health side of things that my career could only last a handful of years. So that’s when it really hit home to me. It is scary, especially as a golfer, you think your career’s going to last forever. And it can if you stay healthy,” he said.

“It really hit home with me. And so, after that and getting into an MRI scanner every four weeks to see how my back was, that was when I was like, ‘okay I need to get stronger, I need to put a structure in place so that this isn’t going to be an ongoing problem’.”

Rory McIlroy far from the only golfer to struggle with back problems

Back injuries are, unsurprisingly, very common given the demands that the best players put on their bodies. Tiger Woods has obviously had a number of back problems, particularly during the second-half of his career.

Meanwhile, other major champions such as David Duval and Jose Maria Olazabal saw their careers interrupted by issues with their backs.

It does appear that McIlroy’s issues are completely behind him now. The only major championship he has missed since 2009 was the 2015 Open Championship, and that was due to a football injury.

Collin Morikawa once admitted that he was baffled by the positions McIlroy can get into with his swing. So it would appear that McIlroy’s scare early on in his career played a pivotal role in turning him into the machine he seems to be today.