RORY McIlroy has confirmed he will not defend his World Golf Championship title as he continues to recover from an ankle injury.
A rupture of his anterior talofibular ligaments, sustained playing soccer with his friends, kept the world number one out of The Open Championship earlier this month.
McIlroy won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational last year and, just like at The Open, he will not be fit to defend the honour, increasing the likelihood that he will miss the US PGA Championship too.
That event – held at Whistling Straights in Wisconsin – begins in two weeks, with the 26-year-old running out of time after before forced out of the latest tournament at Firestone.
In a statement, McIlroy said: "Unfortunately, I will not be defending my World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational title. Best of luck to all the competitors and I look forward to returning to Firestone in 2016."
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