Rory McIlroy is poised to participate in The Players Championship later this week without a practice round. The reigning champion aims to overcome injury concerns, though contingency plans are in place in case of a late withdrawal.

The Northern Irish golfer clinched the title at TPC Sawgrass last year, securing it for a second time, but his involvement has been uncertain. McIlroy had to withdraw from the recent Arnold Palmer Invitational due to back problems.

McIlroy has continued treatment, and according to the Golf Channel, he is due to travel to Ponte Vedra Beach on Wednesday to begin his preparation. That could mean he might have to start the first round without any significant practice beforehand.

The Masters champion triumphed in last year's Players via a play-off, defeating JJ Spaun. However, if the current holder is unable to defend his title, the PGA Tour has chosen alternate and reserve players based on the current FedEx Cup rankings.

On Monday, they announced that Patton Kizzire and Seamus Power will be the first two alternates for the 123-player field. Initially, it was a 120-player field, but Brooks Koepka's return to the PGA Tour increased it to 121.

Now with Kizzire and Power included, the tournament will feature 41 groups of three players. The leading alternative is now rising American talent David Ford, who won the Haskins Award as the most outstanding collegiate player in 2025. Ford topped the PGA Tour university rankings in 2025 and holds a PGA Tour card through to the conclusion of 2026.

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McIlroy stated following his withdrawal from the Arnold Palmer Invitational: "Whilst warming up in the gym this morning, I felt a small twinge in my back. As I started hitting balls on the range before the round, it worsened and developed into muscle spasms in my lower back. Unfortunately, I'm not able to continue and have to withdraw. I was excited to compete this weekend. I wish the Arnold Palmer Invitational a great finish and look forward to being back next year."

In 2024, Scottie Scheffler made history as the first player to defend the Players Championship title successfully. Legends such as Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus have won multiple times, yet neither has won consecutively.

That represents the task confronting McIlroy, who is less than a month away from returning to the Masters as reigning champion. Should the Northern Irishman prevail in Florida, he would not only collect an extraordinary £3.35m but also join Nicklaus as only the second player to capture the championship three times.

McIlroy is due to begin his round at 1.42pm local time on Thursday, featuring in a marquee group alongside two-time major champion Xander Schauffele and 2021 Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama.