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Rory McIlroy said a viral infection 18 months ago led to damage to his heart, the four-time major winner revealed in an interview with a British newspaper published on Friday.
Doctors told McIlroy the illness he came down in China resulted in the thickening of his left ventricle and he told The Telegraph “there’s a bit of scar tissue."
“For now, I just need to stay on top of it and have to stay fit,” McIlroy said. “Hey, I was planning on doing that anyway.”
McIlroy, 28, was plagued by rib and back issues in 2017, which led him to shut down his season after the BMW Championship in September. He’s slated to return to competitive golf at next week’s Abu Dhabi Championship.
“The rib’s fine, no problems whatsoever – I had an MRI scan on my thoracic spine and all was OK,” McIlroy said.
As far as the heart issue, McIlroy said he will have to undergo an echocardiogram every six months and an MRI annually.
McIlroy, who finished atop the World Golf Rankings in 2012 and 2014, begins the season at No. 11. He didn’t record a tournament win in 2017, the first time that has happened since he was a second-year pro in 2008.
“I don’t judge it like that,” McIlroy said. “I don’t care about the world rankings. I think about number of wins, the ability of the players against me, the number of majors the others have. I don’t feel I need to compare myself to anyone else, because I know what I can do. I’m not hung up on it.”
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