Ian Poulter has claimed that Rory McIlroy could come back an even better player after recovering from the injury that will keep him out of The Open.
McIlroy, who won last year's tournament at Royal Liverpool, ruptured ligaments in his left ankle while playing football with his friends last weekend.
"Rory would have wanted a run at St Andrews next week, it's a good course for him. There is not a lot of danger down the left half of the course. He hits it right to left off the tee so he would definitely have been licking his chops at the prospect," Poulter told Reuters.
"It's a shame the injury has taken him out. It will be hard for him to sit at home and watch it on TV but sometimes these things happen and it makes you come back even stronger.
"He's sitting there as world number one right now so a guy like him, as good as he is, coming back potentially stronger, is something we're all going to have to watch out for."
Poulter, a 12-time winner of the European Tour, made his Open debut at St Andrews 15 years ago, and finished runner-up in 2008.
Joe Sharratt
