SHANE LOWRY DEFENDED Rory McIlroy and insisted the world number one’s untimely ankle injury “is not the end of the world.”
McIlroy’s Open defence was thrown into doubt on Monday morning when it emerged that he ruptured an ankle ligament playing football with his friends.
The 26-year-old was due to play in the Scottish Open at Gullane this week before bidding for his second Claret Jug at St Andrews.
He has already started rehab but the extent of the injury will not be fully known for a few days.
Lowry said: “It’s not ideal for him because he’s wearing that boot and he’s going to have everyone in the media on his back now.
“Should he be playing football? I don’t know. He likes playing football, and he likes playing football with his mates. What’s wrong with that?
“I mean, he’s only 25 or 26. It’s a case of, ‘Let’s go out for a kickaround’; ‘Yeah, no problem’.
People think because you’re good at something you should just do that and focus on that, but that’s not what life is about.
“Obviously his career’s after suffering now because of it, but it’s not the end of the world. No one’s after dying.”
– Heatons Ireland, who formally announced Irish golf brand Kartel as their newest brand partnership, today, unveiled Shane Lowry as brand ambassador for Kartel.
