John Ram withdraws from the Players Championship due to illness

PONTVEdra BEACH, Fla. — World-ranked golfer John Rahm has withdrawn from the Players Championship shortly before the start of round two at TPC Sawgrass on Friday due to a stomach ailment, according to the PGA Tour.

Ram, from Spain, took a 1-under 71 in the first round on Thursday. He was scheduled to play Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler for the second day in a row. The tent set is set for 12:56 PM ET on Friday.

Ram was the hottest golfer on the planet, winning five times in his nine previous matches around the world, including three times on the PGA Tour – Sentry Tournament of Champions, American Express and Genesis.

Ram looked well on course for four wins since January when he grabbed the first-round lead with a 7-under 65 at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, but he took a 4-over 76 on Saturday before shooting to par on Sunday. tie for 39. He ended his streak of 10 consecutive top 10 finishes in world starts and was his worst finish since a 55th-place finish at the Genesis Scottish Open in July.

Scheffler, ranked No. 2 in the world, has a good chance of regaining the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking if he plays well this weekend. He will regain the No. 1 ranking if he finishes in the top five, according to OWGR. He was tied for fifth after scoring a 4-under 68 in the first round.

According to OWGR, either McIlroy or Scheffler will move into pole position with a win on Sunday. McIlroy was over 4 after the first round and was in danger of losing the cut.