Rory McIlroy has issued a statement explaining that his withdrawal from the Arnold Palmer Invitational was due to muscle spasms in his lower back. The Northern Irishman was tied for ninth place after the second round but had to pull out, just weeks before the Masters begins.
It is only the second time in McIlroy's career that he has withdrawn from a tournament. The first was over a decade ago at the Honda Classic, when toothache forced him out during the second round.
The extent of McIlroy's injury remains unclear, with the Masters set to start on April 9th at Augusta. In a statement released via the PGA Tour, McIlroy said: "While warming up in the gym this morning, I felt a small twinge in my back. As I started hitting balls on the range before the round, it worsened and developed into muscle spasms in my lower back."
McIlroy added: "Unfortunately, I’m not able to continue and have to withdraw. I was excited to compete this weekend. I wish the Arnold Palmer Invitational a great finish and look forward to being back next year."
McIlroy won the Masters last year and will be aiming to repeat the feat next month, provided his injury is not too severe. Reflecting on his 2024 victory, he said: "My 17th time here. I started to wonder if it would ever be my time. The last 10 years coming with the burden of Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that."
