McIlroy to miss Open at St Andrews
Rory McIlroy pulls out of the Open after injuring his ankle playing football
Rory McIlroy will miss the Open Championship at St Andrews after injuring his ankle playing football with friends.
The world number damaged ankle ligaments on Saturday and despite pulling out of this week's Scottish Open he had not ruled out playing at the Home of Golf next week.
But he wrote on Instagram: "I'm taking a long-term view of this injury.
"Although rehab is progressing well, I want to come back to tournament play when I feel 100% healthy and 100% competitive."
On Monday, the defending Open champion posted a picture on Instagram and also tweeted to say he has "total rupture of left ATFL (ankle ligament) and associated joint capsule damage in a soccer kickabout with friends on Saturday."
The 26-year-old holds both the Open and the US PGA title and golf fans were savouring an Old Course clash with American world number two Jordan Spieth, who is the Masters and US Open champion.
McIlroy has endured a mixed season, missing the cut at the Honda Classic, the BMW PGA Championship and the Irish Open, but also winning the World Golf Championships Match Play and the Wells Fargo Championship in May.
He finished fourth at the Masters and joint ninth at last month's US Open.
South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen won the Open the last time it was held at St Andrews in 2010, while Tiger Woods won in 2005 and 2000.
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