ORLANDO, Fla.

By DOUG FERGUSONAP Golf Writer

Rory McIlroy has been forced to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational with back spasms. McIlroy was on the practice range at Bay Hill with hopes the muscle spasms would subside. But he decided he couldn’t play about 30 minutes before his tee time. One of his managers suggested it was not likely to keep him out of The Players Championship next week. McIlroy is the defending champion at the TPC Sawgrass. But it’s a big month that culminates with the first major of the year at the Masters. It’s his first significant back issue since the 2023 Tour Championship.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Rory McIlroy withdrew from the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Saturday when he felt muscle spasms in his back that were not going away.

The spasms were not thought be to serious enough to keep him out of The Players Championship next week where McIlroy is the defending champion.

Even so, it was his first significant issue with his back since the Tour Championship in 2023, which he played with discomfort. A month later, he went 4-1 and led Europe to another Ryder Cup victory.

He is approaching a big stretch in golf that culminates with the first major of the year at the Masters on April 9-12, with McIlroy as the defending champion. He won last year to become only the sixth player with the career Grand Slam.

McIlroy withdrew about 30 minutes before his tee time. One of his managers said he experienced muscle spasms, and they weren't going away as he tried to warm up on the range in warm weather at Bay Hill.

It was only the third time McIlroy has been forced to withdraw from a tournament. He left the Nedbank Golf Challenge in 2009 with a flu virus and food poisoning, and he withdrew from the Honda Classic in the middle of the second round in 2013, first citing a sore wisdom tooth and a week later apologizing by saying his head was not in the right place.

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