According to PGA Tour Communications official Twitter, World No. 1 Jon Rahm has withdrawn from The Players Championship due to illness.
FedExCup leader and World No. 1 Jon Rahm WD from THE PLAYERS Championship due to illness.
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) March 10, 2023
Rahm, who opened the tournament with a 1-under 71, pulled out 30 minutes before the start of his second round with what his manager described as a “bad stomach bug.” The 28-year-old had been scheduled to play with World No. 2 Scottie Scheffler and third-ranked Rory McIlroy.
Rahm reclaimed his No. 1 ranking following last month’s triumph at the Genesis Open, one of three victories for the Spaniard thus far in 2023. However, that could change by the end of the weekend, as a top-five finish from Scheffler could vault him back up to the top spot, depending on how McIlroy fares.
Scheffler sits tied for 13th at 3-under, while McIlroy is in danger of missing the cut after shooting an opening round 4-over 76.
FanDuel Sportsbook has Collin Morikawa (+340) as the odds-on favorite to win the tournament at the time of writing.