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Three-time FedEx Cup champion Rory McIlroy has started his 2023 Tour Championship campaign with a seven-stroke advantage. The Irishman teed up despite suffering from a lower back injury.
As reported by Todd Lewis of Golf Channel on his Twitter handle, after he returned to his home in Jupiter, Florida, McIlroy got his lower back injured. He wrote:
"Earlier this week @McIlroyRory injured his lower back. It’s a muscular issue. This morning he arrived at East Lake, received treatment, and hit 20 ball which was the first time he hit balls this week. He will tee it up today for @TOURChamp but may have discomfort."
Before the 2023 Tour Championship, Rory McIlroy spoke in a press conference at the East Lake Golf Course. He shared that he took some time off to visit his home and spend time with the family. The 34-year-old was quoted as saying by the PGA Tour official website:
"I've been able to focus a little bit more just on golf and my game and even able to take two days at home between Chicago and here, getting to spend some time with the girls."
Rory McIlroy will be looking to defend his title at the East Lake Golf Course. In the 2022 Tour Championship, he won the tournament, despite being six strokes short of the leader, and defeated Scottie Scheffler and Sungjae Im by a margin of one stroke.
How many times has Rory McIlroy won the Tour Championship?
The Northern Irish superstar golfer has won the Tour Championship three times in his career, fetching him three FedEx Cup titles, the most in the tournament's history.
His first victory came in 2016 when he defeated Kevin Chappell and Ryan Moore in a sudden playoff. Later on, in the 2019 edition, he defeated Xander Schauffele by a huge margin of four strokes to lift his second title. And his third title win came in 2022.
In the 2023 FedEx Cup playoffs so far, Rory McIlroy has tied for third and solo fourth-place finish in the FedEx St. Jude Championship and BMW Championship, respectively.
As far as his PGA Tour career is concerned, Rory McIlroy has won 24 titles so far in his career, including four Major tournaments.
In the 2022-23 season, McIlroy has so far had 16 starts, excluding the ongoing 2023 Tour Championship. He made the cut in 14 of them and finished 11 times in the top 10 on the leaderboard.
Interestingly, McIlroy started his season with a spectacular win at the CJ Cup in South Carolina. He defeated Kurt Kitayama by a margin of one stroke. Later on, he emerged victorious at the Genesis Scottish Open after registering a one-stroke win over Scottish professional golfer Robert MacIntyre.
