Rory McIlroy a Long Shot for British Open With Ankle Injury, Jordan Spieth Now the Favorite

Image via Zimbio

Until this week Rory McIlroy, ranked No. 1 in the world, was the odds on favorite to win the British Open next week. Now it’s unlikely that the Open’s defending champion will be able to compete at St. Andrews, let alone win the thing.

On Monday McIlroy announced a “total rupture” of a ligament in his left ankle, which he injured while playing soccer with friends over the weekend. Although he has not completely ruled out competing, it doesn’t look or sound promising.

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First of all, McIlroy is laid up on crutches, sporting a walking boot on his left leg. And a total rupture of anything doesn’t sound like something that can be corrected in a week or two.

Then again, never say never:

Dr. James Gladstone, dir. of sports med. at Mt. Sinai tells @GCMorningDrive that injury to Mcilroy is a min. 10-14 day rehab, severity key.

— Gary Williams (@Garywilliams1Up) July 6, 2015

Even if the 26-year-old manages to beat the odds and is able to compete—it’ll be 11 days total from the date of his injury to the start of the first round—it’s safe to assume he won’t be 100 percent healthy. Right now McIlroy’s management team gives him a 10 percent chance of participating.

Given the circumstances, oddsmakers now give American Jordan Spieth the best chance to win at St. Andrews. Spieth’s odds have improved from 5-1 to 4-1, while McIlroy’s have dropped from 4-1 to 9-1.

Actually, 9-1 is actually still quite generous with that sort of injury. That goes to show the level of respect there is for McIlroy’s game, especially after such an impressive showing at the Open last year.

Image via Zimbio

Coming off victories at the Masters and U.S. Open, Spieth is now ranked No. 2 in the world and within striking distance of the No. 1 spot. Should McIlroy be unable to play, Spieth could overtake him with a seventh-place finish or higher at the John Deere Classic this week and a win at the Open next week.

It may be an amazing opportunity for Spieth to win his third consecutive major and move up in the rankings, but that doesn’t mean he’s happy to see McIlory, his media-minted rival, sidelined.

“I obviously wish he was there,” Spieth told the Golf Channel. “You want all fields to be full strength no matter who it is.”

He continued, “You want the defending champion, much less the best player in the world at the event. Losing the number one player in the world for a major championship would be tough. It kind of dampens it.”

The rivalry will probably be put on hold for at least a month

Spieth, and his amaaaaaaaaazing competitive spirit, are right—McIlroy’s absence would dampen the Open slightly. That’s because the rest of us are going to have to wait for the next chapter of this suddenly riveting rivalry to play out on the course.

Thankfully we won’t have to wait too long though—the PGA Championship, which is the last major of the year, begins on August 10.