Rory McIlroy's back is feeling fine. It's his putter that hurts him at The Players

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Rory McIlroy wasn't entirely sure he would be able to play in The Players Championship because of muscle spasms in his lower back that forced him to withdraw last Saturday at Bay Hill. Now he's thankful to be playing two more days at the TPC Sawgrass.

But it took a lot more work than he wanted Friday. McIlroy, the defending champion and two-time winner of The Players, was over the projected cut line approaching his final hole at the par-5 ninth. He blistered a 310-yard drive, reached the green in two and had a two-putt birdie for a 71.

Satisfaction came only from making the cut.

“I'm happy to be here for the weekend. I'm happy to get two more runs at it,” McIlroy said. “It would have sucked to be going home this afternoon. So to hang around and hopefully play two more days, that's a win.”

But it was only his third birdie of the round in scorable conditions — and only fourth birdie of the tournament — so this wasn't simply about making the cut. McIlroy woke up feeling good about his back. He just couldn't get his putter to wake up.

Still, it was a clutch finish to sit at 1-over 145.

“I wish I was further up the leaderboard. I felt like I played well enough today to be up the leaderboard, I just couldn’t get a putt to drop,” he said.

The back no longer appears to be an issue. McIlroy was hopeful it would be like 2023 at the Tour Championship when he had a balky back. It was fine by the weekend, and this appears to be a similar situation.

“It feels pretty much there,” McIlroy said. “Not all the way there, but I feel like it's just progressively getting better each and every day.”

McIlroy was not sure what his schedule would be leading to the Masters. He contemplated adding a tournament if he only got in two days at The Players. He said Jim “Bones” Mackay at NBC asked him going down the ninth what his plans were ahead of Augusta National.

“I said, ‘Bones, I’ll tell you after this hole. There’s a lot riding on this golf hole,'” he said with a laugh. “If I had have missed the cut I probably would have added an event going into the Masters, so hopefully I’m here for the weekend and I don’t have to do that.”

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits off the 10th tee during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 13, 2026, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts to his putt on the 11th green during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 13, 2026, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland acknowledges fans appluase before hitting off the 10th tee during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 13, 2026, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The Nigerian army said Sunday it freed 360 people abducted by Boko Haram in southern Borno, in the northeastern part of the country.

The operation, according to the army’s statement, was conducted in the Mandara mountains which form a part of the militant group’s stronghold. It resulted in the release of several people, including children, who had been abducted across different communities in Borno.

Two infants “succumbed to exhaustion" due to the challenging mountainous terrain and the hardship they endured during their prolonged captivity, an army spokesperson, Haruna Sani, said.

“The remaining rescued abductees were successfully evacuated to safe locations for medical care and humanitarian support, marking a major operational success and a significant setback for the terrorist group,” Sani said.

Nigeria faces a complex security crisis, especially in the north where a more than decade-long insurgency and the activities of armed groups that carry out kidnappings for ransom and illegal mining have heightened the country’s security challenges.

Among the most prominent Islamic militant groups are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, which is affiliated with the Islamic State group and known as Islamic State West Africa Province.

Last month, the West African country said its joint operation with the United States had killed 175 ISWAP fighters.

The insurgency in Nigeria’s northeast has killed thousands of people and displaced millions, according to the United Nations. Analysts say not enough is being done by the government to protect its citizens, despite repeated promises by President Bola Tinubu to curb the crisis.

In this photo released by Nigerian Army, freed women and children that were abducted by Boko Haram in southern Borno, Nigeria. Saturday, June 6, 2026. (Nigerian Army via/AP)

In this photo released by Nigerian Army, freed women and children that were abducted by Boko Haram in southern Borno, Nigeria. Saturday, June 6, 2026. (Nigerian Army via AP)

In this photo released by Nigerian Army, freed women and children that were abducted by Boko Haram in southern Borno, Nigeria. Saturday, June 6, 2026. (Nigerian Army via AP)

People protest demanding government to rescue the school children that were recently kidnapped in various part of the country, on the street of Abuja, Nigeria. Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga)