Rory McIlroy ruptured a ligament in his left ankle back in early July and has yet to step on a golf course since. He missed out on defending his title at the Open Championship, but it looks like he could defend last year's victory at the PGA Championship next week.
McIlroy scheduled a practice round on Saturday at Whistling Straits, the site of the 2015 PGA Championship in Kohler, Wisconsin, according to a Reuters report. McIlroy won last year's event at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, with a score of 16-under par.
"An employee at Whistling Straits told Reuters he was not allowed to comment on scheduled practice rounds by players ahead of the championship," wrote Andrew Both of Reuters.
When McIlroy sustained the ankle injury it was largely unknown when he would return to the PGA Tour. Medical experts said the ailment could keep him out of action from anywhere between 10 days and six weeks, according to The Golf Channel, with some even saying it could take 12 weeks to completely heal. It's possible the 26-year-old is close to full health, especially since he previously noted he would not return to tournament play until he felt "100% healthy and 100% competitive."
McIlroy, the No. 1 player in the world, has not played in a tournament since finishing tied for ninth in the U.S. Open back in late June. He won the Wells Fargo Championship and the WGC Match Play event earlier this season and also finished fourth at the Masters and tied for eighth at the Players Championship.
A spokesman told BBC Sport that McIlroy's recovery from his ankle injury was "ongoing" and there would be an update regarding his progress on Thursday. However, it is known he will not defend his title at the Bridgestone Invitational this weekend in Akron, Ohio, and if Jordan Spieth wins the event he will displace McIlroy as the No. 1 golfer in the world.
In case you were wondering what McIlroy was doing in his free time as he recovers, he's playing some Rory McIlroy PGA Tour Golf with One Direction's Niall Horan.
#Repost @niallhoran Practice makes perfect. It'll be a long hibernation so! @easportsinsider
A photo posted by Rory McIlroy (@rorymcilroy) on Jul 18, 2015 at 9:18am PDT
Stay tuned for updates on McIlroy's potential return for the 2015 PGA Championship.
