Rory McIlroy Targets March Return at WGC-Mexico

The world number two expects to return from his rib stress fracture at the WGC-Mexico in the first week of March

Rory McIlroy Targets March Return at WGC-Mexico

Rory McIlroy has revealed that he aims to return from injury at the WGC-Mexico Championship on 2nd March in Mexico City.

The event has been known as the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral but has moved to Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City under new sponsorship.

The world number two had an MRI scan after the South African Open which revealed that he had a stress fracture to his rib.

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McIlroy was speaking on Fox Sport's 'The Clubhouse with Shane Bacon' podcast, saying that he has been walking five or six miles and has begun practising his putting.

The four-time major winner said he will "hopefully tee it up again in a few weeks."

He told Shane Bacon, "I’m trying to get back for Mexico, that’s my timetable for return.

"I could maybe get back before that, for example if I were to play Honda and then go straight to Mexico that would be playing two weeks in a row, I’d like to ease my way in gently.

"Mexico is the perfect time to return because its four rounds, no cut. I can see how everything feels and have a week off after that.

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"Hopefully it works out that way and that’s when I’m trying to get back."

Asked how he suffered his rib injury, McIlroy thinks it occured pre-Christmas where he was testing equipment and making a change to his takeaway.

"One of the drills I was doing was I was reaching a little bit with my left arm and extending while I’ve been trying to make this swing change.

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"I think the combination of trying to make that small tweak in my swing and I’m hitting a lot of drivers as well, making a lot of swings testing drivers, testing balls, testing everything."

There were fears that McIlroy would miss out on the first major of the year in April at the Masters, however he has confirmed that he will play, and says there are no excuses this time in his quest for the career grand slam.

"It could be a blessing in disguise because it gives me five or six weeks where I can just purely work on my short game so there’s no excuses going to Augusta and not having a sharp short game this year.