Rory McIlroy’s appearance at the Players Championship hangs in the balance as he attempts to recover from a “stubborn” back problem. The Masters winner, who claimed the Players title 12 months ago, withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational after suffering back spasms prior to his third round at Bay Hill on Saturday.

McIlroy is taking extra time before deciding whether he will travel to Florida’s TPC Sawgrass. The Northern Irishman isn’t required to register until just before his Thursday afternoon tee time. Considering his familiarity with the venue, his preparations shouldn’t be significantly hampered if he arrives later than planned. Nevertheless, with the Masters approaching, McIlroy will ensure he’s sufficiently fit to complete four rounds before committing to compete.

Golf Channel presenter Todd Lewis has swapped messages with McIlroy, who provided an update regarding both the injury and his revised travel arrangements. McIlroy told Lewis on Monday: “The back is being a bit more stubborn than we thought, so I’m staying at home today and tomorrow to continue treatment in South Florida with the hope to travel to Ponte Vedra on Wednesday at some point.”

His use of the word “hope” indicates there’s a genuine chance he may withdraw from the tournament. Lewis said: “The next 24 to 48 hours are going to be critical in regards to Rory McIlroy participating in this championship.”

Upon receiving the news, Golf Channel analyst Paul McGinley said: “If anyone can turn up unprepared, it’s Rory. He’s not a particularly structured guy.

“Rory is a unique character. He could roll up and play well if it happens to be Thursday morning, so I’m not going to discount it.

“But more than anything, it will be precautionary [if he withdraws]. If there’s any hint at all that the spasm is still there, I would not be surprised to see him pulling out because the Masters is on the horizon. As much as this is a huge event, the Masters is obviously more important to him.”

Announcing his withdrawal from the Arnold Palmer, McIlroy said: “Whilst 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.

“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 last faced significant back problems in 2023 when he recovered sufficiently to secure four points for Europe in their Ryder Cup triumph in Rome. The 36-year-old has only withdrawn mid-competition once before in his PGA career, in 2013 at the Cognizant Classic at the Palm Beaches.