Rory McIlroy had a play to remember, but there's astatine slightest 1 happening helium regrets.
"I'm like, 'F---ing hell, I've conscionable fixed Tiger COVID!'"
In an interrogation with the Sunday Independent, McIlroy recounted the circumstances that helium says led to him and Tiger Woods some getting COVID-19 up of The Open.
McIlroy said helium archetypal felt symptoms portion playing successful Ireland astatine the JP McManus Pro-Am a week and a fractional earlier The Open astatine St Andrews.
The tract for the two-day, 36-hole lawsuit astatine Adare Manor featured 9 of the apical 10 players successful the satellite astatine the time, arsenic good arsenic Woods, and, McIlroy said, "everyone had COVID."
After playing Monday and Tuesday, "Tiger needed a remainder connected Wednesday. We had played 2 days of play astatine Adare, and the program was to play Ballybunion connected Thursday," McIlroy said. "I woke up that greeting feeling a spot achy but didn't truly deliberation thing of it. JP [McManus] gave america his chopper, and we went down with (my manager) Sean [O'Flaherty] and Tiger's manager, Rob [McNamara]. We got astir fine, flew backmost to Adare for luncheon and arsenic I'm getting up from the table, I'm sore and stiff and ace tired. I said to (my wife) Erica, 'I'm feeling a spot weird. I'm conscionable going upstairs to prevarication down for a bit.' I slept for possibly 2 hours and the sweat was conscionable pouring disconnected me, past Erica took my somesthesia and it was entity high. I rang Tiger: 'I'm not feeling truthful bully here.' And helium goes, 'Oh, I consciousness OK.' But helium texted maine astatine 10 o'clock that night, chills, fever, and I'm like, 'F---ing hell, I've conscionable fixed Tiger COVID! This is horrendous!' So we some had COVID going into The Open."
While McIlroy ne'er said successful the interrogation that helium tested affirmative for COVID-19, helium described going the full week astatine The Open without being capable to sensation anything.
"On Tuesday nighttime I went to the Champions Dinner and it was lovely. I was sitting determination drinking h2o and they poured a solid of wine, a beauteous 2005 Bordeaux, and I was like, 'Ahh, I'll conscionable person a small sip,' but I couldn't sensation it," McIlroy said. "The full week of The Open I didn't person immoderate taste, and everything smelled similar vinegar to me. Everything. It was truly strange."
Despite not being 100%, McIlroy finished 3rd astatine The Open, portion Woods ended up missing the cut.
McIlroy kept up his beardown play passim the season, earning the FedEx Cup for a grounds 3rd time, winning 2 different tournaments and getting backmost to No. 1 successful the satellite ranking. Additionally, helium was the strongest and astir predominant dependable successful enactment of the PGA Tour's situation from Saudi-funded LIV Golf.
Woods has not played since The Open, but helium took location a $15 cardinal bonus from the PGA Tour's Player Impact Program, which is designed to reward members "shown to make the astir affirmative involvement successful the PGA Tour." He was scheduled to play again this play astatine the 20-man Hero World Challenge, which benefits Woods' foundation, but said Monday that plantar fasciitis volition keep him from playing.
McIlroy and Woods volition squad up unneurotic connected Dec. 10 for The Match, wherever they volition play against the squad of Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth successful the made-for-TV event.
Information from ESPN's Mark Schlabach and The Associated Press was utilized successful this report.
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