ORLANDO, Fla. — Rory McIlroy withdrew from the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational on Saturday citing a bad back.
McIlroy warmed up on the range ahead of his 12:55 p.m. ET tee time alongside Ryan Fox, but pulled out about a half hour before he was supposed to tee off.
“While warming up in the gym this morning, I felt a small twinge in my back. As I started hitting balls on the range before the round, it worsened and developed into muscle spasms in my lower back. Unfortunately, I’m not able to continue and have to withdraw,” he said in a statement. “I was excited to compete this weekend. I wish the Arnold Palmer Invitational a great finish and look forward to being back next year.”…