"I'll use Rory's word" - Billy Horschel slams TGL back injury claim

Billy Horschel has doubled down on his claim that competitors in Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's indoor golf league are not more prone to injury. 

The theory was floated online by golf reporter Ryan French last week after Collin Morikawa was forced to withdraw from the 2026 Players Championship having only completed one hole of the PGA Tour's flagship event. 

Morikawa tweaked his back during a practice swing and was wheeled off the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in a cart with his head in his hands. 

McIlroy also had issues of his own, with the Northern Irishman attempting to defend his title whilst nursing a back injury that forced him to withdraw mid-competition during the Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

Since TGL's inauguration, several golfers have spent lengthy periods on the sidelines. 

Xander Schauffele missed roughly two months of PGA Tour competition after hurting his rib whilst Sahith Theegala also took the same amount of time off after sustaining injuries to his neck and oblique. 

Theegala said he hurt himself during a TGL match after getting "amped up". 

As for Horschel, he had surgery on his hip last season and missed three of the four majors, only returning in September at the BMW PGA Championship. 

And Justin Thomas was out of action for nearly six months after having surgery on his back after the Ryder Cup. 

McIlroy described the theory as "preposterous" last week. 

And Horschel backed up the reigning Masters champion after Atlanta's defeat in the TGL semi-final to Los Angeles.

"They're not getting injured because of TGL," he said. "Listen, it's a time commitment. 

"We all knew when we signed up that it was a time commitment. And we all understood what this league had the possibility to know to be, and we have seen it in two years."

He added: "The injury question, no. I mean, listen, we’re used to hitting golf balls all the time, and majority of the time we’re probably hitting less golf balls on a match day than we would on a normal day.

"So, to think that players are getting injured because of TGL, I'll use Rory’s word last week, preposterous."

Horschel claimed TGL was in fact the ideal preparation for PGA Tour events as it helps players stay sharp and hit shots under pressure. 

"It's tough to recreate the pressure at home, but I think this is probably a better situation than us three playing a little money game in that situation, just because the fans, the TV, you got all that added to it," he said. 

"I think that's the part that is beneficial in TGL is that you feel the nerves, so when you're out on Tour you have a chance to win a tournament you felt those nerves already."

Woods' Jupiter Links will meat Los Angeles in the TGL final. 

Jupiter Links upset McIlroy's Boston Common Golf 9-5 in the first semi-final, before defending champions Atlanta were beaten 6-4 by Los Angeles.