Jason Day’s participation in The Players Championship has come to an abrupt end even before it began, as the former champion had to withdraw from the tournament due to illness just hours before his opening round on Thursday.
Day was scheduled to start his campaign alongside Wyndham Clark and Jordan Spieth, who is making a comeback after being overlooked for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The PGA Tour confirmed Day’s withdrawal on Thursday morning, announcing that Danny Walker would take his place.
Day was expected to perform well at the PGA Tour’s marquee event of the season, riding high on confidence after finishing tied for eighth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, where Collin Morikawa narrowly missed out on the final day.
This marked his second top-10 finish in less than three months, following a tied third place at The American Express in January. The sudden withdrawal will be a setback for the Australian golfer, who boasts an impressive track record at the iconic Sawgrass course.
Day clinched the championship title in 2016, leading from start to finish in Florida and ultimately winning by four shots over Kevin Chappell, with a total score of 15-under-par across four rounds.
In addition to his victory, the former world No. 1 has also achieved three top-10 finishes and two top-20 placements at the event. Day has faced challenges in recent years, struggling to regain the form that once earned him a major championship and the top spot in golf.
(Image: Getty Images)
Throughout his career, the Australian has been candid about his struggles with vertigo. A notable incident occurred in 2015 when Day collapsed on the course during the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. The exact nature of his current issue remains unclear, with the PGA Tour attributing his withdrawal to an unspecified illness.
This setback comes just a month before the Masters, a tournament where Day has previously struggled with vertigo. In 2023, he revealed that he experienced vertigo during the final round of the Masters, making for an unpleasant experience.
“So last round of the Masters I had vertigo, so that was obviously not fun to play in that final round,” he said. “We had to finish our third round Sunday morning and then I was sitting in the caddie hut and that’s when I got vertigo.”
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
