Rory McIlroy's grouping for the Players Championship has been confirmed after his withdrawal from the Arnold Palmer Invitational due to a back injury. He will play alongside Xander Schauffele and Hideki Matsuyama in the first two rounds at TPC Sawgrass.
McIlroy pulled out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational after two rounds, citing muscle spasms in his lower back. He said the issue began during a gym warm-up and worsened on the range, forcing him to withdraw. Despite the setback, he remains in the field for the Players Championship.
McIlroy is the defending champion at the Players, having won the 2025 edition in a play-off against J.J. Spaun before going on to win the Masters later that year. Schauffele is a two-time runner-up at the event, while Matsuyama's best finish is fifth in 2023.
At the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Akshay Bhatia overturned a large final-day deficit to win, with Daniel Berger finishing second. Berger said: 'A shot here or there was the difference.'
