Rory McIlroy: Heartbeat irregularity not a big deal

Just your standard flat or inverted T-wave heartbeat irregularity, no big deal.

Rory McIlroy is set to return to the golf course for the first time in 2018 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship next week following an injury plagued 2017. In a year where he battled rib and back injuries, McIlroy said that the only current issue with his body was a heartbeat irregularity, a flat T-wave that he would have to check regularly throughout the year. "The rib’s fine, no problems whatsoever – I had an MRI scan on my thoracic spine and all was OK. But I’ve got a bit of an irregularity with my heart that I have to keep on top of,” he told The Telegraph in a recent interview. “I have a flat T-wave and I’ll have to get an echo [cardiogram] on my heart every six months and an MRI scan every year. “I suffered a really bad viral infection in China 18 months ago and they told me that’s the reason that I have this thickening of my left ventricle and there’s a bit of scar tissue. “For now, I just need to stay on top of it and have to stay fit. Hey, I was planning on doing that anyway.” The interview gained a lot of traction online and McIlroy took to his Instagram account on Saturday morning to debunk any concerns about his long term health. "Yesterday I did an interview with the Daily Telegraph where I spoke about a range of topics regarding the last 3 months of my life. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd3-bygjK0O/?hl=en&taken-by=rorymcilroy "I touched upon a recent finding from a routine health and wellness check. Like anything, the deeper you dig the more likely you are to find something. It revealed I had a slight heartbeat irregularity called a flat or inverted T wave. "It's really not that big of a deal and nothing to worry about, apart from getting an annual check up, like you should do anyway. "I feel there's been a big reaction to it in the media which there really shouldn't be. I'm fit and healthy and can't wait to get my 2018 season started in Abu Dhabi next week." McIlroy, who failed to win a tournament last season for just the second time in his professional career, ended his year early due to a rib problem.