Rory McIlroy, after runner-up finish at SA Open, to have aching back examined

One tournament into the new year, Rory McIlroy is going for tests on his back Monday to make sure he is fit enough to play Abu Dhabi without further damage.

McIlroy felt pain in his back before the second round of the South African Open, and it lingered throughout the final round, where he closed with a 67 and lost in a playoff to Graeme Storm.

McIlroy was flying to Dubai on Sunday and said he would have an MRI exam “just to see what’s up with this joint in my back.”

“It’s OK,” McIlroy said on the European Tour’s website. “It was manageable this week. I’m taped up and I’ve got a few pills in me and I’m fine. But first and foremost, that’s the most important thing, to get fit and healthy again. And hopefully, I’ll be all right to play next week.”

The runner-up finish looks to be enough for McIlroy to have a chance to return to No. 1 in the world if he were to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which in recent years has been the strongest field of the year among regular European Tour events. Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson and Rickie Fowler are among those playing.

McIlroy has not been atop the world rankings since September 2015. He is scheduled to play Abu Dhabi and then Dubai two weeks after that.

“If I go to Abu Dhabi next week and win, I think I get back to No. 1, so it’s a nice goal to have going into next week,” McIlroy said. “I really want to make next week because there’s so much to play for. But at the same time, there’s so much to play for this season. I don’t want to jeopardize long-term goals for short-term gains. So we’ll see. Hopefully, I’ll be good to go.”

Storm beat McIlroy on the third playoff hole, earning the Englishman a second European Tour title 80 days after losing his card by 100 euros.

After the 251st-ranked Storm tapped in for a par, McIlroy slid his par putt wide from seven feet on their fourth visit to the 18th hole at the Glendower Golf Club.

“I’m in shock, this has been a surreal week,” Storm said. “To find myself in the position I was in, playing on the final day with the best player in the world right now. It’s just a dream come true.”

McIlroy, the world No. 2, started the final round three strokes behind Storm but chased down the overnight leader, moving atop the leaderboard when Storm missed a three-foot par putt on No. 14. McIlroy relinquished the lead by bogeying No. 17 after taking two shots in a greenside bunker, taking the event to a playoff with both on 18-under-par 270.

McIlroy shot four-under 68 and Storm had a 71 in the final round.

Storm lost his card at the end of last year, only to get a reprieve when American player Patrick Reed failed to play enough events to join the tour. His other title came at the French Open in 2007.

Tour rookie Jordan Smith of England was a shot back in third ahead of a trio of South African players. Dean Burmester was fourth on 273, one stroke ahead of Thomas Aiken and Trevor Fisher Jr.