Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau withdrew from this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational on Monday due to hip and hand injuries.
DeChambeau, 28, posted a video on social media expressing his disappointment at missing the tournament that begins Thursday at the Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Fla.
“I’ve been working hard on my game and working hard on my recovery,” he said. “Man, tough decision right now. I have a lot of work to do to get everything back into order for this week. I just feel like it’s too short a time for me to get back to … playing at 100 percent capacity. Right now, I’m like 90 percent. I don’t want to go out there and hurt myself even more and not be 100 percent ready for the rest of the season. I don’t want to come back early and then have to take more time off, so it’s a hard decision I have to make right now.”
DeChambeau, ranked No. 12 in the world, said he hopes to return for The Players Championship set for March 10-13 at Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
“At this current point and time, I have to take another week off and I’m going to try and get back to play for THE PLAYERS,” he said. “As of right now, I just can’t risk it, going out there and having it re-aggravate. … This has been one of the hardest moments in my life … because I’m not able to do much. Although I can hit some golf balls, it’s not comfortable. It’s not fully comfortable.”
DeChambeau has not competed on the PGA Tour since missing the cut at the Jan. 26-29 Farmers Insurance Open.
The 2020 U.S. Open champion has not completed 72 holes since tying for 25th at the Jan. 6-9 Sentry Tournament of Champions.
–Field Level Media