Prior to the start of the third round of the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational, Rory McIlroy withdrew from the tournament with a back injury.
According to reports, McIlroy felt some discomfort on the driving range prior to his round and decided to WD.
The Northern Irishman had just got himself into contention on Friday afternoon, shooting 32 on the back nine to get himself from even par to four-under-par after two rounds. Although he was still nine shots back of runaway leader Daniel Berger, he was only four strokes behind second-placed Akshay Bhatia with 36 holes still to play.
The next few weeks for McIlroy are huge, so hopefully he is back in the field as soon as possible. Next week, he is defending The PLAYERS Championship, and in April, he will head back to Augusta to defend his Masters title after completing the Grand Slam in 2025.
Stay tuned to DK Network for any updates on his injury.
