Bryson DeChambeau withdraws from Arnold Palmer Invitational targeting return at The Players Championship
Bryson DeChambeau at the 2021 Open Championship. (Alastair Grant/AP)
The Arnold Palmer Invitational was dealt difficult news this week with the withdrawal of defending champion Bryson DeChambeau.
DeChambeau has struggled with a series of wrist problems for a number of recent months, with 'the scientist' not playing since withdrawing from the Saudi International in early February due to hand and hip injuries.
He announced he would be withdrawing from the action at Bay Hill on Monday.
"Man, it's a tough decision right now," the 28-year-old said, in a video on his Twitter channel.
"I have a lot of work to do to get everything back into order for this week and I just feel like it's too shorter time for me to get back to 100 per cent and playing at 100 per cent capacity.
"Right now, I'm like 90 per cent. I don't want to go out there and hurt myself even more, and not be 100 per cent ready for the rest of the season. I don't want to come back early and then have to take more time off.
"It's a hard decision I have to make right now, but I'm going to have to unfortunately not play this week."
“I have a lot of work to do to get everything back into order for this week and I just feel like it’s too shorter time for me to get back to 100 per cent and playing at 100 per cent capacity”
The big hitter is instead targeting The Players Championship, which starts on March 10, at TPC Sawgrass.
"At this point in time, I've got to take another week off and I'm going to try and get back and play for The Players," he said.
"Right now, I just can't risk going out there and having it reaggravate. This has been one of the hardest moments of my life. I'm not able to do much, yes although I can hit some golf balls, it's not comfortable or fully comfortable.”
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