Rory McIlroy pulls out of Bay Hill due to back spasms.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Rory McIlroy pulled out of the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Saturday after experiencing persistent muscle spasms in his back.
The spasms were not considered severe enough to prevent him from participating in The Players Championship next week, where McIlroy is the reigning champion.
Nonetheless, this marks his first notable back issue since the Tour Championship in 2023, which he competed in while feeling discomfort. A month later, he achieved a 4-1 record and guided Europe to another Ryder Cup triumph.
He is entering a crucial period in golf that leads up to the first major of the year at the Masters from April 9-12, with McIlroy as the defending titleholder. His victory last year made him only the sixth player to achieve the career Grand Slam.
McIlroy withdrew approximately 30 minutes prior to his tee time. One of his managers indicated that he was experiencing muscle spasms that persisted while he attempted to warm up on the range in the warm conditions at Bay Hill.
This marks only the third occasion McIlroy has had to withdraw from a tournament. He exited the Nedbank Golf Challenge in 2009 due to a flu virus and food poisoning, and he withdrew from the Honda Classic during the second round in 2013, initially citing a sore wisdom tooth and later apologizing, stating that his mind was not in the right place.
