Jon Rahm withdraws from Players Championship due to illness

Jon Rahm's withdrawal due to illness adds to the struggles of Irish golfers Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, and Seamus Power at the Players Championship.

Jon Rahm withdraws from Players Championship due to illness

Jon Rahm withdraws ( Image via Golfmagic )

Spanish golfer Jon Rahm was forced to withdraw from the Players Championship ahead of his second round due to illness. The world number one had recorded a one-under-par 71 in his first round on Thursday at TPC Sawgrass. Rahm tops the FedExCup standings having won three tournaments, most recently the Genesis Invitational last month.

Meanwhile, the Irish contingent continued to struggle at the tournament. Rory McIlroy, who was in contention to take over the number one spot with a good result, teed off just before 6 pm Irish time but had slipped back to six-over-par overall through 10 when play was suspended due to weather conditions. Shane Lowry and Seamus Power also struggled in their opening rounds.

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As play resumed on Friday, Ben Griffin was the clubhouse leader on six-under-par after a one-under-par round of 71. However, Adam Svensson and Christiaan Bezuidenhout looked on course to eclipse him at -8 through 11 and 14 respectively. They sit two shots ahead of Ben Griffin, Min Woo Lee, and Collin Morikawa, with overnight leader Chad Ramey dropping to four under following a disastrous 17th.

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Rory McIlroy and the Irish contingent struggle

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Jon Rahm withdraws ( Image via Golfmagic )

Despite high hopes for Rory McIlroy and the Irish contingent, they struggled in their opening rounds at the Players Championship. As play resumed on Friday, McIlroy teed off needing to make up at least three shots to squeeze into the top 65 but had slipped back to six-over-par overall through 10 when play was suspended due to weather conditions.

Meanwhile, Shane Lowry and Seamus Power also struggled in their opening rounds. The withdrawal of world number one Jon Rahm due to illness added to the struggles of the Irish contingent at the Players Championship.

As play resumed on Friday, Ben Griffin was the clubhouse leader on six-under-par, with Adam Svensson and Christiaan Bezuidenhout looking set to eclipse him. Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, and Seamus Power will be hoping to bounce back in their second rounds and improve their chances of a strong finish at the tournament.

The Players Championship is known for being one of the most challenging events on the PGA Tour, and this year’s tournament is no exception. While some players have managed to navigate the difficult course with relative ease, others, such as Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, and Seamus Power, have struggled to find their footing.

Jon Rahm’s withdrawal from the tournament due to illness only adds to the unpredictability of the competition. As the weekend approaches, it remains to be seen which players will rise to the occasion and who will continue to struggle.

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