Tag: withdraw

Jon Rahm withdraws from 2024 U.S. Open because of injury

“To say I’m disappointed is a massive understatement!”

PINEHURST, N.C. — It turns out that Jon Rahm’s toe infection is worse than he said during his pre-U.S. Open press conference on Tuesday. The Spaniard withdrew from the 124th U.S. Open just hours later.

The infected sore is located between the little toe and the next toe on his left foot. Rahm posted on his social media in both English and Spanish that “after consulting with numerous doctors and my team, I have decided it is best for my long term health to withdraw,” he wrote. “To say I’m disappointed is a massive understatement!”

Rahm, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, was scheduled to make his ninth appearance in the U.S. Open. He was replaced in the field by alternate Jackson Suber, 24, of Tampa, Florida.

Rahm withdrew from LIV Golf’s Houston on Saturday due to the infection to his left foot.

Rahm entered the interview area at the 124th U.S. Open wearing a flip-flop on his left foot and a golf cleat on his right. It didn’t take long for him to be asked about the condition of his infected toe and what it could mean for his playing status.

2024 U.S. Open
Jon Rahm of Spain walks to the press conference during a practice round prior to the U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort on June 11, 2024 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

“Oh, it’s a concern,” he said. “It’s doing better. It’s doing better. But definitely still in pain.”

Rahm, a past Masters champion and former world No. 1, did note, “Anytime I can tee it up, I feel like I have a good chance.”

But when pressed if the injury could impact Rahm’s ability to play this week, he said, “As to right now this week, I don’t know,” he said.

Turns out, the answer is he’s out of the field and concerned about the injury derailing the rest of his season. He told Spanish site Ten-golf.com, “If it reaches a point that I don’t know if I can win, I don’t know if it’s worth it to go out and compete.”

What’s scarier for Wichanee Meechai: Solo lead at the U.S. Women’s Open or the haunted house she’s renting?

Only time will tell if the rental is a scarier place than the solo lead in a U.S. Open.

The list of big names who missed the cut at the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open is a Who’s Who in the game: Nelly Korda, Rose Zhang, In Gee Chun, Brooke Henderson, Lexi Thompson, Lydia Ko. They’re all going home after 36 holes, even with the cut coming in at 8 over.

But there are three recent major champions in contention after two days, including the winners of two of the last three U.S. Women’s Opens.

Wichanee Meechai leads the way at 4 under with Andrea Lee two shots back. They are the only two players to post a round in the 60s in each of the first two rounds.

Only four players finished under par through 36 holes and two are major champions: Minjee Lee, winner of the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open and 2021 Amundi Evian, and Yuka Saso, who won the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open.

Just behind those four are eight golfers tied for fifth at 1 over, a group that includes another recent major winner, 2019 AIG Women’s British Open champ Hinako Shibuno.

Also tied for fifth are two amateurs, Asterisk Talley and Megan Schofill. A total of four amateurs made the cut.

U.S. Women’s Open: Photos | How to watch | Leaderboard

The difficult Lancaster Country Club layout has certainly turned things sideways this week, making for an unpredictable leaderboard.

“It’s really tough out there. The course requires all of your attention on every single golf shot,” said Lee. “Just staying super patient and trying to hit fairways, hit greens and take the birdies when I can. But par is a really, really good score out here, so that’s what I’m going to try and do on the weekend, just try and make as many pars as I can.”

Lee, who won once on tour in 2022, has a career-best T-9 in a major at last year’s AIG Women’s British Open.

Minjee Lee, meanwhile, sounded a little less stressed about the layout and conditions.

“I’m really enjoying my time so far,” she said. “The course is a really lovely walk, so a lot of different type of holes, so a lot of character to the course. It’s just nice to look at, and it’s tricky. The rough is up. The greens are fast. That’s what I expect for a U.S. Open. Yeah, I’m enjoying it.”

So about that haunted house…

Thailand’s Meechai, 31, has yet to win on the LPGA. In seven events in 2024, she’s missed three cuts and has just one top 10, a T-7 at the Cognizant Founders Cup three weeks ago. She is in unchartered waters for sure.

“To be honest, before the tee time, I was so nervous,” she admitted. “My hands just shaking, my brain just stop working. But trying to commit to the shot. I know that the course is hard; just go with the flow probably. That’s my point, and just have fun.”

Meechai has never held the lead in a tournament before.

“Never. This is my first time, and it’s U.S. Open, so I get more nervous now, I think,” she said.

She was later asked if she was staying with anyone this week but said it’s just her in a rental house.

“I’m the only one in my house right now. I was going to book the hotel because it’s very last minute that I made the qualifying. I booked the hotel already, and Pajaree [Anannarukarn, a fellow Thai pro], she just told me that she have a house because she book it like way long time ago, but she didn’t make it, and she asked me do you want a house.

“So I was like, OK, I prefer the house because I can do laundry, I can cook, everything. So I take the house and then stay, kind of haunted house a little bit. I’m so scared the first night but it’s fine now.

“But I think that probably if they have a ghost in that house, I think the ghost like me.”

Only time will tell if the rental is a scarier place than the solo lead in a U.S. Open.

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Early contender Sei Young Kim withdraws from 2024 U.S. Women’s Open

Kim was making her 11th Women’s Open start.

LANCASTER, Pa. – Sei Young Kim withdrew from the second round of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open with a back injury after starting the day in a share of fifth.

Kim, making her 11th Women’s Open start, shot 70 in the opening round. On Friday, she was six over after 12 holes when she pulled out of the tournament.

Kim had finished in the top 20 at this event in her last five appearances. A 12-time winner on the LPGA, the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA champion last won on tour at the 2020 Pelican Women’s Championship. She struggled with a back injury in the 2019 season, changing her swing and workout regimen to heal.

U.S. Women’s Open: Photos | How to watch | Leaderboard

Hideki Matsuyama withdraws from 2024 Wells Fargo Championship with injury

Matsuyama pulled out of the tournament before his first round tee time on Thursday.

Hideki Matsuyama withdrew from the PGA Tour’s 2024 Wells Fargo Championship just minutes before his weather-delayed first-round tee time on Thursday afternoon.

The 32-year-old from Japan cited a back injury as the reason for his withdrawal, which brings the signature event field down to 68 players after Ludvig Aberg withdrew earlier in the week.

Matsuyama hasn’t missed a cut in 10 starts on Tour this season and picked up his first win in two years back in February at the Genesis Invitational, the ninth victory of his career on Tour. In five previous Wells Fargo starts Matsuyama hadn’t missed the cut and bagged two top-25 finishes.

The injury and withdrawal have put Matsuyama’s status for next week’s 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, in question.

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PGA Tour iron man and CJ ambassador Sungjae Im withdraws from CJ Cup Byron Nelson

Im was scheduled to be in a featured group with Jason Day and Jordan Spieth.

McKINNNEY, Texas — Sungjae Im withdrew from the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on Thursday morning, citing illness, according to a PGA Tour media official.

Im, 26, pulled out of the event less than 30 minutes before his scheduled tee time. He is an ambassador of CJ, the South Korean conglomerate which is in the first year of a 10-year deal as the title sponsor of the Tour’s longtime Dallas stop.

Im won the KPGA Tour’s Woori Financial Group Championship on Sunday and had several off-course duties for the title sponsor in the lead up to the tournament. He has regularly been one of the leaders in Tour starts in recent years, making 12 starts already this season and 31 last year. (On two occasions, he’s made 35 starts in a season.) Im ranks 37th in the world and is currently in line to be one of two representatives for South Korea in the Olympics.

CJ CUP: Photos | Thursday tee times, TV | Yardage book

Im was replaced by Seung-yul Noh in a featured group with Jason Day and Jordan Spieth. Last year, Noh posted an 11-under 60 in the first round here at TPC Craig Ranch.

Veteran Sean O’Hair also withdrew before the round and was replaced by Scott Piercy.

Angel Yin withdraws from LPGA’s Chevron Championship with ankle injury

Hopefully Yin gets healthy soon.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Angel Yin withdrew from the Chevron Championship after carding a first-round 78. Yin, who was in a wheelchair earlier this season after breaking her left ankle in Austria, was in too much pain to carry on at the Club at Carlton Woods.

Defending champion Lilia Vu didn’t even make it to the first tee on Thursday before she had to withdraw with pain back. The two players who squared off in a playoff here last year were too banged up to give it another go.

Yin made her first start of the season two weeks at the T-Mobile Match Play in Las Vegas where she took a share of fifth.

Yin told Golfweek on the eve of the championship that she felt a great deal of pain walking the fairways of Jack Nicklaus Signature Course and during the follow-through of her swing. Cross-country flights seemed to make things worse.

Chevron: Lauren Coughlin gave her husband a three-week trail as caddie, and she now leads LPGA’s Chevron

While Yin wouldn’t reveal the details of what she was doing during the time of the “avoidable accident,” she did say that she made a mistake by taking off her air cast every night for two weeks in Austria.

“That was wrong,” she said. “My doctor was not too happy.”

With the Olympics on the line, Yin was pleased to be back in action in time for the first major of the year. A little nervous, too.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last.

Defending champion Lilia Vu withdraws from 2024 Chevron Championship with injury

Lilia Vu’s title defense of the Chevron Championship was over before it began.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Lilia Vu’s title defense of the Chevron Championship was over before it began. The world No. 2 had a nagging back injury flare up during warm-ups at the Club at Carlton Woods and withdrew from the event before her 1:10 p.m. CDT tee time, according to an LPGA official. Vu is expected to release a statement later in the afternoon.

Earlier this season, Vu withdrew from two events during the Asian swing. The former UCLA standout said during a pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday at the Chevron that she was 95 percent recovered.

Apparently things turned for the worse quickly.

“It’s been a rough couple months battling with my injury,” Vu said on Tuesday. “It’s been a little scary. I’ve definitely cried a lot on the range sometimes because my back just couldn’t hold up.”

Chevron: Photos

https://www.instagram.com/p/C56lA7kuQo2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

In a statement posted on social media, Vu stated “I have been dealing with a back injury for a while now. Some days are better than others, and today was unfortunately not a good day. During my normal warm-up routine, I had severe discomfort in my back and I felt that I could not compete up to my standards and made the decision to withdraw from the tournament before my tee time.”

Vu won four times on the LPGA last season, including two major championships, and was the tour’s Player of the Year.

She was asked earlier in the week what she thought about during the time she spent in the scoring area last year at The Club of Carlton Woods, waiting to see about a playoff.

“I think it was cold, and I was a little worried about my back,” she recalled. “It was actually really clutch last year. My physio was actually out of here on her way to Dallas, and I think after 30 minutes on her drive there she turned around and came back and had enough time to help me on the range and get ready for the playoff.”

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A week before Masters, Cameron Smith withdraws from LIV Golf Miami

Hopefully Smith gets feeling better before next week.

Cameron Smith is going to head into the first major championship of the year a bit rusty.

The Australian, who captured the 2022 Open Championship, withdrew from LIV Golf’s event in Miami, Florida, at Trump National Doral, due to illness. Smith shot 3-over 75 in the opening round and had four birdies, five bogeys and a double. The specific illness was not mentioned.

Ben Campbell will replace Smith in the Ripper GC lineup for the rest of the team competition.

Smith placed third in LIV’s latest event in Hong Kong last month and has two top-10 finishes in his first four events of 2024.

He has a history of playing well at Augusta National. He has four top-10 finishes in the past six years. The 88th Masters Tournament starts Thursday.

LIV Miami: Photos

LPGA: World No. 1 Lilia Vu forced to withdraw for a second week in a row in Asia

Last week, it was illness. This week, the top-ranked player has a different reason for the WD.

For a second week in a row, Lilia Vu has withdrawn from an LPGA event. Last week, the World No. 1 withdrew during Sunday’s final round at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. LPGA media reported that it was due to illness.

This time at the Blue Bay LPGA event in China, it’s being listed as an injury.

Vu, who opened with a 72 in China, said this at the start of the week in a press conference: “Last week my body wasn’t feeling great overall physically, and it was just Sunday that I couldn’t handle. So I took the whole day off yesterday and hopefully I can regroup and have a good week this week.”

Last summer, Vu had a back injury scare at the Mizuho Americas Open in New Jersey that forced her to withdraw. She took nearly a month off before returning at the KPMG Women’s PGA in late June.

“I’m really grateful to be here right now because it could have been bad with my back,” Vu said last year at the KPMG.

The 2023 Chevron Championship is coming in five weeks, and Vu will be looking to defend her title in Texas.

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Dehydrated and dizzy (but not injured), Tiger Woods withdraws from second round of 2024 Genesis Invitational

“He started feeling flu-like symptoms last night.”

Tiger Woods’s return to action on the PGA Tour was a short one this week at the Genesis Invitational. Woods withdrew from the tournament during the second round on Friday in Pacific Palisades, California, citing flu-like symptoms, according to a PGA Tour rules official.

Woods, 48, played six holes before calling it a day and taking a cart ride back to the clubhouse. After hitting his tee shot at the seventh hole, television cameras showed him with head in his hands as a Tour rules official drove him away after leaving Gary Woodland and Justin Thomas, his playing competitors for the first two rounds. He had made a birdie and two bogeys and just holed a putt at the sixth green to save par but was in danger of missing the 36-hole cut at 2-over for the tournament.

Woodland sensed something wasn’t right with Woods, who was laboring and showing discomfort, on Friday in a way that he didn’t the day before.

“He was quieter. Obviously it’s cut day, we’re all trying to play well, especially the whole group’s trying to focus and pick ourselves up and play well,” Woodland said. “I feel bad for him, he wasn’t right. He definitely was trying to fight through it and I hope he’s all right.”

Rob McNamara, executive vice president of TGR Ventures, said in a statement that Woods started feeling flu-like symptoms Thursday night and woke up in the morning and felt worse. “He had a little bit of a fever and was better during the warm-up, but then when he got out there and was walking and playing, he started feeling dizzy,” McNamara said. “Ultimately the doctors are saying he’s got potentially some type of flu and that he was dehydrated. He’s being treated with an IV bag and he’s doing much, much better and he’ll be released on his own here soon.”

Woods was feeling bad enough that an ambulance and fire truck were called to the golf club and waited outside the clubhouse as a precaution but Woods eventually walked out of the clubhouse of his own power and entered the back seat of a waiting vehicle that whisked him away. This week’s tournament, where he also serves as the tournament host, marked the first official Tour start for Woods since he withdrew after making the cut at the Masters last April. He underwent surgery to fuse his right ankle later that month and missed the remaining majors. He played in the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December, finishing 18th in the 20-man field, and the PNC Championship, a two-man team event with son Charlie, two weeks later.

MORE: Reactions to Tiger Woods withdrawing from Genesis

Woods opened with a 1-over 72 on Thursday. The 15-time major champion cited back spasms as the reason for shanking his second shot at 18 on Thursday and noted that he had been dealing with them at home at times. He said they were due to having his back fused.

Asked if the withdrawal had anything to do with Woods’ previous injuries to his ankle or back, McNamara said, “Not physical at all. His back is fine. It was all medical illness, dehydration, which is now, the symptoms are reversing themselves now that he’s had an IV.”

Woods’s return drew enormous crowds from fans who wanted to see the 82-time Tour winner make his latest comeback attempt after surgery. Three years ago, Woods was involved in a single-car crash south of Los Angeles one day after the Genesis Invitational that severely injured his lower right leg, ankle and foot.

“Do I feel it physically? Yeah, I do. Do I feel it physically? Absolutely, each and every day. Unfortunately that’s part of having surgeries and rehab,” Woods said on Tuesday. “But I’m excited about this week and I’m excited about competing and playing.”

Speaking before the tournament commenced, Max Homa, the 2021 Genesis Invitational champion, summed up why the players were pleased to have Woods competing again.

“Every event’s better when Tiger is here,” he said. “It’s pretty amazing what he brings to an event with his presence on the golf course. Obviously it’s great that he’s had his name attached to this, but you want to see him play, all the fans want to see him play.”

This marked the 13th time in his career that Woods has withdrawn from a Tour event, and the third withdrawal in his six starts since the car accident. He made his Tour debut at Riviera as a 16-year-old amateur in 1992.