Rory McIlroy withdraws from Arnold Palmer Invitational after suffering injury

The Arnold Palmer Invitational is underway as American Daniel Berger leads the pack with a -13 entering Saturday. With many expecting Rory McIlroy to be competitive in the tournament, it appears the superstar golfer was forced to withdraw due to injury.

Reports indicate that McIlroy, who turns 37 in May, tweaked a muscle in his lower back, according to Todd Lewis of The Golf Channel and NBC. The injury occurred while McIlroy was warming up. The famed golfer claims he could play through the injury, but doesn’t want to risk anything with The Players Championship and The Masters around the corner.

“During his gym warm-up at the [Arnold Palmer Invitational] Saturday, Rory McIlroy tweaked a muscle in his lower back. He tried to work through it but ultimately decided to [withdraw]. Rory told me he could have possibly played through it, but with The Players Championship and The Masters coming up, it was best to be cautious.”

The Players Championship is scheduled to begin on March 10. So, it sounds like Rory McIlroy will bounce back in time for that tournament, assuming there are no setbacks with his back injury. Meanwhile, The Masters is set to begin on April 6, so McIlroy has plenty of time to get healthy for one of golf’s biggest events.

McIlroy was the 2025 winner of The Masters and aims to become the first back-to-back champion since Tiger Woods, who accomplished that feat in 2001 and 2002. Rory McIlroy managed to win last year’s Masters, earning his fifth major after going on an 11-year drought.

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