Woods: McIlroy consulted me on ankle injury, playing in the Open

Tiger Woods knows a thing or two about playing — and winning — injured. That’s probably why world No. 1 Rory McIlroy consulted the 14-time major champion after severely hurting his ankle after a July 4 soccer game with friends.

“[Rory] sent me a photo the day he did it,” Woods said to ESPN and USA Today after a short on-course clinic at St. Andrews with several junior players organized by Nike.

“We talked about it for a little bit. He said, ‘You’ve been through a lot of injuries over the years.’ So he picked my brain a little bit. We had a good talk. He’s doing the right thing, taking care of his body first before he gets back out here.”

Woods won the 2008 U.S. Open, his last major title, essentially on one good leg. He outlasted Rocco Mediate on the 19th hole of a Monday playoff at Torrey Pines seven years ago.

McIlroy withdrew from the British Open earlier this week, not implying any kind of timetable for his return to the game. Speculation abounds about the recovery time from a total rupture of his ATFL ligament in his left ankle. The Ulsterman will be the first Open champion since Ben Hogan in 1954 who is unable to defend the Claret Jug.

“No doubt, he’s frustrated that he’s not going to be able to play in the Open Championship, especially here at St. Andrews,” Woods said. “And how well he’s been playing of late, and this golf course really does set up well for him, too. That’s the way it goes. We all get injured at one point in time. Sometimes it’s through the sport or sometimes it’s through fun activities. You just never know.”

Woods is a two-time Open champion at St. Andrews, completing the career Grand Slam in 2000 and wrapping it up for a second time in 2005.

With St. Andrews currently slotted to host the Open every five years, McIlroy’s next chance would come when he’s 31. However, focusing on the short term, a pair of McIlroy August title defenses are now in doubt, at both the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

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