Rory McIlroy reveals Tiger Woods is “doing better”

Tiger Woods is “doing better” and is hopeful of being discharged from hospital in the next week or so, according to Rory McIlroy.

Appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon ahead of this week’s PLAYERS Championship, defending champion McIlroy revealed that he has been in touch with Woods since his horror car crash last month.

“I’ve spoken to him a little bit,” said the four-time major champion. “He’s doing better. I think all the guys have reached out to him. 

“Hopefully, if things go well over the next week or so he might be able to get home and start recovering at home which would be great for him. You know, see his kids, see his family. But yeah, he’s doing better and think all of us are just wishing him a speedy recovery at this point.”

• PGA Tour introduces ‘Bryson Rule’ for Sawgrass

• Rory has no plans to change coach or caddie

• Brooks Koepka OUT of The PLAYERS

McIlroy added that Woods messaged him after his disappointing finish to the Arnold Palmer Invitational last weekend. The Northern Irishman went into the final round with a chance to a winless drought on the PGA Tour stretching back to November 19 but had to settle for a tie for tenth after an error-strewn 76.

“He text me some words of encouragement before the final round of Bay Hill on Sunday. Things didn’t quite go to plan and he was the first to text me after, saying ‘What’s going on here?’ So, even from the hospital bed, he’s still giving me some heat.”

Woods, 45, has been hospitalised since February 23 after being involved in a near-fatal car crash near Los Angeles.

• Faldo explains why he took a ‘pop at Fowler

• Win a Motocaddy PRO 3000 laser rangefinder

The 15-time major champion required emergency surgery on his right leg and ankle after his car left the road and rolled multiple times in the earning morning accident.

The first responders at the scene subsequently revealed that the former world No.1 was lucky to survive the horror smash on what is a known accident blackspot.

McIlroy was one of the players to show his support for Woods by wearing Tigers’s traditional red and black Sunday outfit in the final round of the WGC-Workday Championship at The Concession.

“All the guys got together and we thought, ‘What can we do to send a message to Tiger to let him know that we’re thinking about him?’” he told Fallon. “A sign of solidarity, how we appreciate him so much, everything he’s done for the game. 

“Everyone coming out in the red and black on Sunday a couple of weeks ago was just a very small way to show that we are thinking about him and hopefully we see him back out here again soon.”