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Rory McIlroy’s green jacket defense appears to be a bit up in the air.
The reigning Masters winner was forced to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Saturday after suffering back spasms during his pit session.
“While warming up at the gym this morning, I felt a little twinge in my back. When I started hitting balls on the range before the round, it got worse and turned into muscle spasms in my lower back,” McIlroy said.
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland watches his tee shot on the 14th hole during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge on March 6, 2026, in Orlando, Florida. (Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
“Unfortunately, I cannot continue and have to withdraw. I was excited to compete this weekend. I wish the Arnold Palmer Invitational a great finish and look forward to being back next year.”
McIlroy finally won the green jacket on his 17th try last year – it was his first major since 2014, and it made him the sixth golfer to complete the career grand slam. It was a weekend full of ups and downs, as he set the Masters record for most patented “3s”, but he had plenty of dropped shots throughout.
Ultimately, he prevailed in the playoffs against Justin Rose, who had also fallen to Sergio Garcia in the playoffs eight years prior.
Rory McIlroy holds the Masters Championship trophy during the final round of the Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. (Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)
The last time someone didn’t play at the Masters the year after winning was 1954, when Ben Hogan sat out.
McIlroy finished tied for second at last month’s Genesis Invitational, won by Jacob Bridgeman, and 14th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a tournament he won last year.
Rory McIlroy watches his tee shot on the third hole during the second round of the RBC Canadian Open. (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)
The Masters was McIlroy’s third and final victory of the season last year. He also won The Players and was part of the winning Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black. It was the first time a road team had won the Cup since the Europeans in 2014, and it was the first consecutive Ryder Cup victory since Europe won three in a row in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
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