Rory McIlroy To Play Five More Events In 2017

The world number four will play the FedEx Cup Playoffs before making the trip to Scotland for the Dunhill Links

Rory McIlroy To Play Five More Events In 2017

Rory McIlroy will defend the FedEx Cup before making a surprise trip to Scotland for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The world number four said his season may be over after the USPGA Championship, where he finished in a tie for 22nd and continued to struggle with a rib injury.

However, the Ulsterman will play through the pain in a bid to become the first ever man to defend the FedEx Cup.

McIlroy won his first FedEx Cup in 2016 with victories at both the Deutsche Bank Championship and Tour Championship.

He picked up the FedEx Cup trophy along with the $10m first prize, golf's most lucrative purse.

"I'm okay to play these next four out of five weeks," McIlroy told ESPN.

"But then I do need a prolonged break at some point in 2017 to be ready for 2018."

The four-time major winner has struggled with the rib injury all season, after hurting it during rigorous equipment testing in the off-season.

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He lost in a playoff to Graeme Storm in January at the South African Open before taking six weeks off.

He returned at the WGC-Mexico Championship in March but pulled out of the BMW PGA Championship in May, as well as Jack Nicklaus' Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village.

McIlroy will continue with best friend Harry Diamond on the bag after parting ways with his long-time caddie JP Fitzgerald after The Open.

The top 125 on the FedEx Cup points list have made it to the first event this week at The Northern Trust (previously The Barclays) in New York.

The top 100 will progress to the Dell Technologies Championship (previously the Deutsche Bank Championship) in Massachusetts the week after, before the top 70 play at the BMW Championship in Illinois.

There will then be a week break before the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake GC in Atlanta, Georgia, where only the top 30 on the FedEx Cup points list will qualify.

McIlroy currently sits 43rd in the FedEx Cup points list and will likely to move into the top 30 for the Tour Championship.

It's been a busy 2017 for the 28-year-old, who, despite playing just 13 tournaments, has suffered with a rib injury, signed a new equipment deal with TaylorMade and even got married.

His best finish of the season was that 2nd place in South Africa, but he showed signs of form in his T4th at the Open and T5th at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in consecutive weeks last month.

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