Rory McIlroy avoided any media contact in heading straight for the clubhouse and bound for Belfast after his final round 75 at the Players.
And in arriving back home on Monday he should soon learn if he will be given the all-clear to contest next week’s BMW PGA Championship at Tour HQ at Wentworth.
McIlroys first task on arrived into Belfast will be to undergo an MRI on what is an ailing left shoulder as confirmed by his long-time coach, and not a back injury as has been reported for much of last week
The World No. 2 has admittedly been sporting adhesive support tape on his upper back all last week during the Players Championship in Florida.
McIlroy ended the $US 1o.5m event with an adventurous final round 75 for a two over tally and after heading to the last day at one-under par.
He grabbed the first birdie of his round in two-putting the par 5 second hole from 4o-feet but then gave the shot back with a bogey at the fifth when he was long with a second shot and then took three to get down from less than 3o-feet.
McIlroy then birdied the next from superbly landing his second to just six-feet and holing the putt.
But he again lost momentum in dropping a shot at the next, the par seventh in finding a fairway bunker but only managing to advance his ball some 2o-yards.
McIlroy parred the next three but was again on the bogey train in losing a shot at 11 and then also at the par four 15th when he took three shot to get down from just short of the green.
He did manage a birdie at the par five, 16th in two-putting from 5o-feet.
Then there was a very lucky bounce at the very front of the island green 17th that saw him walk off with a par.
However there was shortly some concern for McIlroy at the last when he tee shot landed very close to the water guarding the entire left-hand side of the fairway. He was forced to stand on the woodwork supporting the fairway but managed to get a shot away that was well right of the green.
But the week that had been clouded in injury concern ended with McIlroy trudging off with a double bogey “6” for his 75 and then heading straight to the clubhouse, and without stopping to talk to waiting media.
Graeme McDowell has a round he would rather not remember shooting an 8-over par 80 that included not one birdie but five bogeys and a 10th hole double.
It was McDowell’s highest score in 35 loops of Sawgrass.
