What is it about professional golfers getting injured playing other sports?
An injury playing tennis with his kids now has fellow PGA Champion Padraig Harrington joining Rory McIlroy as doubtful to tee up next week at Whistling Straits.
In fact, Harrington will be lucky to take his place in the closing weekend rounds of the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational here in Akron, Ohio as he battles with the injury sustained two weeks ago.
Padraig HARRINGTON (IRL) at the 9th green during Friday’s Round 2 of the 2015 Bridgestone Invitational World Golf Championship held at the Firestone Country Club, Akron, Ohio, United States of America. 7/08/2015.
Picture Eoin Clarke, www.golffile.ie
Harrington is clearly in discomfort walking with his right leg stiff and he headed straight for a lengthy session with the on-site physio staff following his second successive score of 72 for a four over par tally.
“I am really struggling and don’t know if I can make it through the next two rounds so we’ll see, we’ll see,” he said.
“I am okay swinging the club but then late in my round today I definitely wasn’t loading my swing the right way and the knee was affecting me.
“So I am not 100% sure and it will depend on how I feeling in the morning but then in the bigger picture I am also concerned about next week’s PGA Championship.”
Without the benefit of an MRI, Harrington’s been informed he has sustained cartilage damage and while the knee is structurally sound it is a scenario where he had to keep icing the knee, and continuing to take prescribed anti-inflammatories.
“Ideally, I should be taking three weeks rest but I can’t do that this time of the year so I am staring at possibly an injection and plenty of rehab,” he added.
“I was playing tennis with my children and not doing anything foolish like jumping the net, and it happened two weeks ago but then I irritated a week ago so I came here with the knee a little unstable.
“It seems to be getting better and I’ve had days when it’s been fine but when it’s the walking that is the problem more than anything else.
