Saturday 14 January 2017 17:04, UK
Rory McIlroy admitted that his exhaustive equipment test sessions last month contributed to the back problems he has been suffering in South Africa.
McIlroy hit "thousands" of balls in Dubai before Christmas as he determined the ideal club set-up to start 2017 with, having been forced into the change due to Nike's decision to cease manufacturing golf equipment.
The world No 2 played through the discomfort in his back during his second-round 68 at the BMW SA Open, and he required treatment before heading out on the third morning at Glendower Golf Club.
McIlroy revealed he was "uncomfortable" over the first six holes and took a second dose of anti-inflammatories, and the pain management took immediate effect as he holed his second shot for eagle at the tough par-four seventh.
He went on to make four further birdies, including three in a row from the 11th, although he three-putted the ninth and also dropped a shot at the last after pulling his drive into the trees as a 67 left him three strokes adrift of leader Graeme Storm.
"The back was a little tender this morning, and I didn’t really get much sleep overnight," said McIlroy, who is playing in the event for the first time since 2009.
"I couldn’t get comfortable and I had to wake up in the middle of the night to take a couple of pain killers but the physios did a good job on me this morning and strapped me up pretty well, and then gave me a couple of anti-inflammatories, which helped.
"It was a bit uncomfortable for the first five or six holes, but then I took another couple of anti-inflammatories and it actually felt pretty good on the back nine. Hopefully this muscle spasm that I have around the joint is sort of subsiding and I will go get some more treatment before I go out on Sunday.
"If it’s a muscular thing then it’s just fatigue. I have hit a lot of golf balls over the last four or five weeks, testing equipment, so I think that’s probably just the thing. I have been hitting a lot of drivers, and you put a lot of force on your body when you do that.
"Maybe I’ll take it easy over the next few days, and I think with better rest and more treatment I should be fine."
McIlroy was tied for the lead when he followed up his superb eagle at the seventh with a birdie at the next, but he was frustrated by his errors at nine and 18 while Storm kept a bogey off his card for the second day running.
"I’d like to be a few shots better or at least a few shots closer to the lead," added McIlroy. "I’m three shots behind the lead at the minute, but hopefully I can get off to a good start and put a bit of pressure on Graeme and make it interesting."
Due to the threat of bad weather on Sunday, final round coverage of the BMW SA Open will now begin at 7:30am on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf.
