Rory McIlroy pulls out of PGA Championship with rib injury

Rory McIlroy has withdrawn from next week's BMW PGA Championship, the first event in the European Tour's new Rolex Series, due to a rib '¨injury flaring up again.

Carnoustie professional Fraser Mann with the PGA Senior Championship trophy.

The niggling problem led to the four-time major winner having a spell on the sidelines earlier in the year and returned as he prepared for last week’s Players Championship – his first event since the Masters.

An MRI revealed that, rather than a new injury, a “low grade response” to the earlier problem was the diagnosis.
On the back of that, the 2014 Wentworth winner left his name on the entry list for next week’s $7 million event but has now pulled out on medical advice.

“Having had a reaction to my earlier rib injury, I have been advised to take a conservative approach to my recovery which unfortunately means I have to withdraw from the BMW PGA Championship,” said the world No 2.

“It is disappointing but I have to ensure I make a full recovery. I will now continue the process of preparing my game for the US Open and the rest of the season.”

At the Rocco Forte Open in Sicily on the European Tour, Former Masters champion Mike Weir made his first halfway cut since November 2014.

The Canadian carded a second round of 70 at Verdura Golf Club to finish right on the cut mark of five under par.

That was ten shots off the halfway lead held by Spain’s Alvaro Quiros, but simply making the weekend for the first time in 34 events represented a step in the right direction for the former world No 3, who has slumped to 1,907th 
in the rankings. Weir has struggled for form since elbow surgery in 2011.

Quiros birdied his final four holes to add a 64 to his opening 63 and reach 15 under par, two shots ahead of overnight joint leaders Michael Hoey and Sebastian Soderberg, who both shot 61 on Thursday and 68 yesterday.

Elsewhere, Fraser Mann claimed the title for a second time as he prevailed in a play-off in the Silversea PGA Senior Championship at Foxhills in Surrey.

Carnoustie’s Mann came from two shots behind overnight to secure a £6,000 top prize, beating Lincoln’s Paul Streeter with a birdie at the third extra hole.

On the Challenge Tour, David Law is into the knock-out phase of the Challenge Tour’s Andalucia Costa del Sol Match Play 9 after a second-round 66 at La Cala. The five-under-par effort saw the Aberdonian secure a spot among the 32 qualifiers.

Closer to home, Balmore’s James Wilson opened with a one-under 72 in the Welsh Open Stroke Play Championship at The Vale Resort, while Comrie’s Wallace Booth secured a top-10 finish in the EuroPro Tour’s IFX Championship at Frilford Heath.