Rory McIlroy is officially out of the 2015 Open Championship

The world’s number one golfer will not be playing at St.Andrews next week.

After much consideration, I have decided not to play in the Open Championship at St. Andrews. I’m taking a long term view of this injury and, although rehab is progressing well, I want to come back to tournament play when I feel 100% healthy and 100% competitive. Thank you for all your support and best wishes. I hope to be back on the course as soon as I can…. In the mean time, come on Andy!!!

A photo posted by Rory McIlroy (@rorymcilroy) on Jul 8, 2015 at 8:38am PDT

Rory McIlroy is officially out of the 2015 Open Championship after posting an update to his Instagram account last night.

McIlroy injured his ankle while playing a knockout football game with friends last weekend. The world’s number one golfer described the injury as a “Total rupture of left ATFL (ankle ligament) and associated joint capsule damage” which not only sounds painful but sounds a lot like an injury that will take a long time to heal.

Much of the talk around the injury is whether McIlroy should be playing football two weeks out from defending his Open Championship title. On one hand he should be doing what any other 26-year-old would be doing in his time off from work, but on the other hand he is the defending champion of a major golf championship.

Not to mention the obligation to sponsors and golf fans to be playing at St.Andrews next week.

But being what it is, the tournament will be poorer without him and let’s hope McIlroy is 100% before the final major of the year, the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in August.