Daniel Berger Holds Lead at Arnold Palmer Invitational After McIlroy Withdrawal
Sunday at 3: 15 p. m. ET — Daniel Berger leads the Arnold Palmer Invitational after play at Bay Hill was suspended on Saturday because of darkness and the third round completed on Sunday. The timing matters: Rory McIlroy withdrew on Saturday with lower-back spasms and Akshay Bhatia closed to one shot behind the leader.
It is only the second time McIlroy has withdrawn from a PGA event mid-competition, the first coming at the Cognizant Classic at the Palm Beaches in 2013. He is due to defend his titles at the Players Championship next week and the Masters at Augusta from 9-12 April.
Berger Holds Solo Lead at Arnold Palmer Invitational After Sunday Finish
Daniel Berger remains the clubhouse leader at 13 under par after the third round was completed on Sunday. Berger, identified in the leaderboard as D Berger (US), went around in a 72 in the resumed play, while Akshay Bhatia closed with a birdie on the 18th to post a four-under 68 and sit one shot back at 12 under.
Play was suspended on Saturday because of darkness, forcing the completion of the third round on Sunday and leaving Berger with three holes to finish when play resumes. Berger’s position gives him a narrow cushion heading into the final 18 holes at Bay Hill.
McIlroy Withdraws, PGA Tour Cites Lower-Back Spasms Before Tee Time
Rory McIlroy, who had been sharing ninth place and was nine shots off the lead before the third round, withdrew after developing muscle spasms in his lower back. The PGA Tour announced his exit about 30 minutes before his scheduled tee time.
In a later statement, McIlroy said he first felt a twinge while warming up in the gym and that it worsened as he started hitting balls on the range: “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. ” He had moved to four under on Friday with a round of 68 after shooting level par on Thursday.
Earlier in the event, McIlroy birdied four of the first seven holes on the back nine and described that stretch as “a controlled, patient round of golf. ” The withdrawal removes a notable name from contention as the tournament moves to its final round.
Bhatia, Straka and Morikawa Set to Challenge at Bay Hill
Akshay Bhatia, now standing one shot behind Berger, mounted his late charge with a birdie on 18 to finish the third round strongly. Austria’s Sepp Straka and Americans Cameron Young and Collin Morikawa were all in the clubhouse on nine under after Saturday and will enter the final round sharing third place.
Other notable positions on the third-round leaderboard include MW Lee at eight under, C Gotterup and L Aberg at seven under, and a group of established players clustered between six under and two under. Names listed among the selected others are H Hall, R Henley, R Fowler, V Hovland, J Spieth, X Schauffele, S Scheffler and M Fitzpatrick, reflecting a deep field set up for Sunday.
The final round is scheduled for later Sunday at Bay Hill, where leaders will complete the tournament after the resumed third round. If remaining holes from the third round carry over, that could alter tee times and the start of the final pairing.
