Reigning Masters champ Rory McIlroy withdraws from PGA event 1 month before green jacket defense

Rory McIlroy's greenish overgarment defence appears to beryllium a spot up successful the air.

The reigning Masters victor was forced to retreat from the Arnold Palmer Invitational connected Saturday aft suffering backmost spasms during his scope session.

"While warming up successful the gym this morning, I felt a tiny twinge successful my back. As I started hitting balls connected the scope earlier the round, it worsened and developed into musculus spasms successful my little back," McIlroy said. 

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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland watches his tee changeable connected the 14th spread during the 2nd circular of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard astatine Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge connected March 6, 2026, successful Orlando, Florida. (Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

"Unfortunately, I’m not capable to proceed and person to withdraw. I was excited to vie this weekend. I privation the Arnold Palmer Invitational a large decorativeness and look guardant to being backmost adjacent year."

McIlroy yet took location the greenish overgarment successful his 17th effort past twelvemonth — it was his archetypal large since 2014, and it made him the sixth golfer to implicit the vocation slam. It was a play afloat of ups and downs, arsenic helium acceptable the Masters grounds for the astir "3s" carded, but helium had plentifulness of dropped shots throughout.

Ultimately, helium prevailed successful a playoff against Justin Rose, who besides fell to Sergio Garcia successful a playoff 8 years prior.

Rory McIlroy holds the Masters title trophy during the last circular of the Masters Tournament astatine Augusta National Golf Club. (Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)

The past clip idiosyncratic did not play successful the Masters the twelvemonth aft winning it was 1954, erstwhile Ben Hogan sat out.

McIlroy finished tied for 2nd successful past month's Genesis Invitational, won by Jacob Bridgeman, and tied for 14th astatine the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a tourney helium won past year.

Rory McIlroy watches his tee changeable connected the 3rd spread during the 2nd circular of the RBC Canadian Open play tournament. (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)

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The Masters was McIlroy's 3rd and last triumph of the play past year. He besides won The Players and was portion of the winning Ryder Cup squad astatine Bethpage Black. It was the archetypal clip a roadworthy squad won the Cup since the Europeans did truthful successful 2014, and it was the archetypal back-to-back Ryder Cup wins since Europe won 3 consecutive successful 2010, 2012, and 2014.

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