Rory McIlroy was slowly finding his way up the leaderboards in the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational after a slow start. But his campaign came to an abrupt end on Saturday. The World No. 2 was forced to withdraw ahead of his scheduled third-round tee time at Bay Hill Club and Lodge.

The Northern Irishman was slated to tee off at 12:55 pm alongside Ryan Fox. However, he had to withdraw before his third round due to a lingering back injury he suffered during his gym warm-up that day.

According to reports, he tweaked a muscle in his lower back. While he tried to work through it, he ultimately decided to withdraw. The news was confirmed shortly after he was seen leaving the practice range about 30 minutes before his scheduled start. It may be the better choice for him anyway.

The PLAYERS Championship and The Masters are coming up, and playing in a signature event despite an injury could have affected McIlroy’s chances to participate in the majors. While he has already earned a career grand slam last year, adding to his resume wouldn’t be a sacrifice he needs to make at this point in his career. Anyway, he was not performing his best in the $20 million event.

He began the tournament with a slow start on Thursday, leaving him tied for 33rd after the first round. He suffered a bogey on the par-4 8th hole after finding the water. However, soon after the second round concluded, he stood at T9 with a total of 4 under par. He could’ve played through it and improved over the weekend, but given his history with injuries, and this being a new one, he took a step back.

A decade back, in 2015, the Northern Irish golfer suffered from an injury that derailed him from playing the Open Championship for the year. He ruptured his ankle ligament while playing football with his friends, which stopped him from defending his title

McIlroy also managed a minor right elbow issue ahead of the 2025 Masters. A year after that, he is again struggling against an injury just a month before the 2026 Masters. However, despite the injury, he managed to secure his first green jacket last year and completed his career Grand Slam. But whether he would be able to do it yet again this year depends upon how serious his back injury is.

Meanwhile, as the golfing world would miss him at the Bay Hill Club, it is important to remember that there was a time when McIlroy might not have continued with his career after last year at all.

Roger Federer inspired Rory McIlroy to keep going after the Masters win

It was a long wait for the former world number 1. 11 years to be precise. But once he had the dream of winning the elusive green jacket fulfilled, McIlroy was in a fix. Feeling content with his Career Grand Slam, the Northern Irish golfer realized that he had won almost everything he could in his golfing career.

Immediately, such a sense of contentment made the golfer wonder what’s next for him. Thankfully, just as he was getting confused and lost his way, the world number 2 remembered a fellow legend. Roger Federer. Having toppled Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slam titles, the Swiss maestro continued playing for many more years.

Speaking on the Fried Egg Podcast, McIlroy revealed, “I actually had a chance to have dinner with Roger Federer a few weeks ago, and he framed the question a little differently to me, and it just made me think about it a little bit differently. And it had to do with Pete Sampras, and when he got to 15, which was past Pete’s 14, he’s like, ‘Well, 20 didn’t seem that far away.’ So, it’s the same thing for me.”

And with that renewed vigor, McIlroy now has a new goal. He wants to win the Career Grand Slam twice! Now, while it might sound pretty much of a stretch, considering the talent the Northern Irish star has, fans might be in for a wild ride. However, at the moment, all eyes will be on how fast he can recover and walk the green with his familiar aura again.