Rory McIlroy pulled out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Saturday after experiencing muscle spasms in his back that wouldn’t subside during his warm-up routine.
The issue isn’t expected to sideline McIlroy for The Players Championship next week, where he’s the defending champion. He’s headed to his South Florida home to recover.
“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 said in a statement to the PGA Tour.
“Unfortunately, I’m not able to continue and have to withdraw,” he said. “I was excited to compete this weekend. I wish the Arnold Palmer Invitational a great finish and look forward to being back next year.”
This marks McIlroy’s first significant back issue since the 2023 Tour Championship, where he played through discomfort and still tied for fourth. He bounced back quickly then, playing twice more in Europe before going 4-1 to lead Europe to another Ryder Cup victory.
The timing is unfortunate as McIlroy approaches a crucial stretch culminating with the Masters in April. He’s looking to defend his title after winning last year to become just the sixth player to complete the career Grand Slam.
McIlroy withdrew about 30 minutes before his tee time. He was on the range when it became clear the spasms weren’t improving, despite the warm conditions at Bay Hill.
It’s only the third time in his career that McIlroy has been forced to withdraw from a tournament. He previously left the 2009 Nedbank Golf Challenge with a flu virus and food poisoning, and walked off mid-round at the 2013 Honda Classic, initially citing a sore wisdom tooth before later acknowledging mental struggles.
Bay Hill was McIlroy’s fifth tournament of 2024. He’s played twice in Dubai and at two signature events (Pebble Beach and Riviera). Just over a week ago, he visited Augusta National for the first time since winning the Masters. Earlier this week, he teamed with his father to win the Seminole Pro-Member in South Florida.
