Rory McIlroy’s weekend in Arnold Palmer’s Invitational never started after he withdrew Saturday afternoon before his tee time with a back injury.
It’s just the second WD of McIlroy’s PGA Tour career. The first came at the 2013 Honda Classic when he was 7 years old and cited a toothache.
According to Golf Channel’s Todd LewisThe World No. 2 tweaked a back muscle during a pre-round gym session. After changing backs, McIlroy took to the range to hit a few balls and see if he could get through it. He ultimately decided not to play. McIlroy told Lewis he might have been able to put him away but didn’t want to push it with the major season on the horizon.
McIlroy released the following statement shortly after his WD.
“While warming up at the gym this morning, I felt a little twinge in my back. As I started to hit balls on the range before the round, it worsened and developed into muscle spasms in my lower back. Unfortunately, I am unable to continue and have to withdraw. I was excited to compete this weekend. I wish the Arnold Palmer Invitational a great finish next year.”
McIlroy shot a 4-under 68 on Friday to move into the top 10, but still entered the weekend nine shots behind 36-hole leader Daniel Berger. He is coming off a T2 finish at the Genesis Invitational in his last start. With the Players and Masters on the horizon, McIroy arrived at Bay Hill feeling confident in the state of his game.
“He feels like he’s in really good shape,” McIlroy said Wednesday. “I’m really happy with the marks I saw at Pebble Beach and Riviera. I think I did really well in Strokes Gained: Approach in those two events. I drove the ball pretty well at Riviera. I just couldn’t putt a putt for 27 holes. But I put it in kind of a very fast, bumpy kind of way, but I was very happy with the Western game. I’ve been playing last week and playing golf and I’m excited about these two weeks in, I feel like I’m in good shape.”
The career Grand Slam winner is the defending champion at next week’s Players Championship and the Masters, which is 33 days away. McIlroy told Golfweek’s Adam Schupak he was “all right” as he left the Bay Hill property.
McIlroy, who defeated JJ Spaun in a three-hole playoff in last year’s Players, is scheduled to hold his pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday at 7:45.
