Rory McIlroy has pulled out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational due to an injury that’s left him in serious doubt for next week’s Players Championship.
The 36-year-old was dealing with back spasms before his third round at Bay Hill and, despite giving it a go on the range, decided not to risk making things worse.
McIlroy’s withdrawal on Saturday was just the second of his PGA Tour career, and it came at a time when he’ll want to keep things in check with TPC Sawgrass coming up.
Stephen Hennessey of Golf Digest has reported that McIlroy has returned home to start treatment for the back issue.
There are now signs from Doug Ferguson that the Northern Irishman could still feature next week.
Ferguson noted: “Muscle spasms for Rory, think the first since ’23 Tour Championship. Early word is he’s expected to play next week at TPC.“
The important thing here is not to rush anything. Back injuries are difficult and can impact other parts of the body if not handled properly.
What we know about Rory McIlroy’s back issues
It might be wise for the Masters champion to avoid rushing his return this time.
Pushing himself too soon could end up causing more problems later in the season.
This isn’t the first time McIlroy has dealt with back spasms. He had a similar issue during the 2023 Tour Championship at East Lake and spoke about it afterwards.
“I went into the gym just to do some movements and stuff”, he said. “I was at the bottom of a squat, a body-weight squat, and my whole lower back spasmed, seized up. I couldn’t move. I honestly couldn’t address the ball this time yesterday.”
McIlroy managed to play through that tournament, and his back problems eventually eased off. He even played an important role for Europe at the Ryder Cup just a month later.
This time around, McIlroy will be hoping for a similar recovery after withdrawing from Bay Hill on Saturday.
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