Rory McIlroy has pulled out of the Dubai Desert Classic from February 2-5 after taking a break from the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship proved insufficient to recover from a stress fracture in the rib area.
A tweet on the European Tour website confirmed the news, much to the disappointment of fans who were looking forward to see the Northern Irishman push up the rankings and start the year on a high. The world No 2 slipped to 11th in the Race to Dubai rankings after Tommy Fleetwood won in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
McIlroy picked up the injury at the South African Open in the preceding week and had tests done in Dubai last Monday. “In situations like this you simply have to listen to the experts,” he had said.
The 2009 Dubai Desert Classic was his first as a professional.
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