GOLF: McIlroy withdraws from Arnold Palmer Invitational with back injury

Rory McIlroy has pulled out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational before the start of Saturday’s third round after suffering a back injury, the PGA Tour said.

The 36-year-old withdrew from the tournament at Bay Hill in Florida about 30 minutes before his scheduled tee time, citing a back injury.

McIlroy, with 29 PGA Tour wins, had previously withdrawn only once from a Tour event at the 2013 Cognizant Classic and is scheduled to defend his title at The Players Championship next week at TPC Sawgrass.

In 2023, ahead of the Tour Championship, McIlroy suffered lower right back spasms that caused his back to seize up while stretching at home, though he still went on to compete.

-Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk, editing by Pritha Sarkar/Reuters