Wednesday 12 July 2017 15:28, UK
Ryan Moore will defend his John Deere Classic title this week after winning his fitness battle following a shoulder injury.
Moore, who sealed the winning point as the United States regained the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine last year, has not played competitively since missing the cut in the Memorial Tournament at the start of June, after which he realised he had strained tendons in his shoulder.
The 34-year-old went four weeks without hitting a ball and worked with a fitness trainer for several hours a day, seven days a week in a bid to be fit, an effort which has fully paid off.
"As soon as we figured out there was something wrong it was like 'Man, how do I get back here?"' Moore told a pre-tournament news conference. "Basically that was my focus. I wanted to be here and I wanted to defend my title.
"Honestly, it's feeling better than before I hurt it. I probably could have come back a couple of weeks ago if I really needed to.
"I was fortunate I was in a position where I was in a decent spot in the FedEx Cup so I could take a few more weeks and just get the right amount of rest and rehab in. I'm showing up this week not really even thinking about it, so that's a positive.
"I haven't played a tournament in a little while so that part of it, just getting back into the flow of playing an 18-hole round of golf on the PGA Tour might take a day or two.
"But my game and body and everything feels very good and very, very comfortable. I'm not having to worry about that side of it."
Moore, who successfully defended the CIMB Classic title in Malaysia in 2014, is already exempt for The Open next week at Birkdale, but one place is up for grabs in Illinois for a non-exempt player finishing in the top five.
