Jason Day WD’s from Arnold Palmer Invitational with back injury
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Jason Day has withdrawn from the Arnold Palmer Invitational after just six holes, citing a back injury
The World No.11 was playing his first round at Bay Hill with Rickie Fowler and Iain Poulter, but lasted just six holes before withdrawing with a back injury.
Day, who has suffered with numerous back injuries before, began his day on the back nine but after hitting his second shot on the 16th hole decided he couldn’t continue.
Speaking to the PGA Tour, Day admitted that he aggravated it last Sunday and found out after an MRI that he has an ‘annular tear’ in his disc, but thought he could get it ready for the tournament.
“I (aggravated) it last Sunday,” he said, “and then got an MRI Monday, which came back that I had an annular tear in my disc, and then I’ve got set problems as well. My back was sore when I was practicing from Tuesday to Saturday, and I was going to practice on Sunday, but I woke up and couldn’t really walk or sit in the car.
“I was on a dose pack to try get the inflammation out of it,” he added, “and that didn’t get any better. I saw a physio here (in Orlando) and tried to do as much work as I possibly could to get ready for this week. I couldn’t play at 100 percent today, so I just wanted to see if I could get out here and (my back) may have loosened up. But, unfortunately, it didn’t, so I had to pull out.”
Day had finished T4-T5 in his last two starts on Tour, but it is now unclear whether or not he will play in next week’s Players Championship, which he won in 2016.
It was Day’s ninth WD on the PGA Tour, and is another blow to the Arnold Palmer Invitational, after Tiger Woods pulled out on Monday with a neck injury.
