Rory McIlroy has recovered sufficiently from a back injury to defend his Players Championship title at TPC Sawgrass. The world number two arrived at the PGA Tour's flagship event on Wednesday after staying home for treatment following his withdrawal from last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. He hit a 329-yard tee shot down the middle of the fairway in his opening round.

McIlroy only decided to play hours before his tee time, taking a 'hour by hour' approach as he recovered from muscle spasms and lower back discomfort. The 36-year-old Northern Irishman focused his practice on shorter clubs Wednesday, avoiding drivers and fairway woods on the range before testing his driver during warmups. He emphasized the injury was 'not structural' but rather muscular discomfort and fatigue.

McIlroy aims to become only the second three-time winner of the prestigious tournament, joining Jack Nicklaus. The five-time major champion withdrew from Bay Hill after feeling a 'small twinge' during his gym warm-up, experiencing muscle spasms on the driving range. With the Masters beginning April 8, McIlroy is confident playing this week won't aggravate his condition as he pursues back-to-back major victories.