ORLANDO, Fla. — Rory McIlroy withdrew from the third spherical of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Saturday after feeling spasms in his again that would not go away.
The cramps weren’t considered critical sufficient to trigger McIlroy to overlook subsequent week’s Gamers Championship, the place he’s the defending champion. He was heading to his dwelling in South Florida.
“Whereas warming up within the gymnasium this morning, I felt a small soreness in my again. After I began hitting balls on the follow vary earlier than my spherical, my signs worsened and developed into spasms in my decrease again muscle groups,” McIlroy mentioned in a press release to the PGA Tour.
“Sadly, we have been unable to proceed and needed to withdraw,” he mentioned. “I used to be excited for this weekend’s competitors. I want the Arnold Palmer Invitational an incredible end result and stay up for coming again subsequent 12 months.”
It is the primary time he is had main again issues because the 2023 Tour Championship, when he performed by discomfort and tied for fourth within the FedEx Cup finals. He performed two extra occasions in Eire and England earlier than going 4-1 and main Europe to victory within the Ryder Cup.
McIlroy is approaching golf’s huge take a look at, culminating within the 12 months’s first main, the Masters. The Masters begins on April ninth with McIlroy because the defending champion. He gained final 12 months, turning into the sixth participant to finish a profession Grand Slam.
McIlroy withdrew about half-hour earlier than tee time on Saturday. He was warming up on the follow vary when he seen the cramps would not go away, even in Bay Hill’s heat climate.
That is the third time McIlroy has been compelled to withdraw from a event. He withdrew from the 2009 Nedbank Golf Problem with a flu virus and meals poisoning, withdrew from the 2013 Honda Traditional halfway by the second spherical resulting from a sore knowledge tooth, and apologized every week later, saying his head was in an odd place.
Bay Hill is his fifth event of the 12 months, with two signature occasions held in Dubai and two in Pebble Seashore and Riviera. McIlroy performed Augusta Nationwide for the primary time since successful the Masters a few week in the past. Earlier this week, he teamed up along with his father to win the Seminole Professional Member of South Florida.
