Jason Day WD from the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard

ORLANDO – Citing a back injury, Jason Day withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard on Thursday morning.

Day, 31, started his round on the back nine and informed playing partners Rickie Fowler and Ian Poulter on the 16th hole that he would not be continuing. Day was 2 over at the time.

The 12-time PGA TOUR winner Day had five top-15 finishes in five starts this season, but hadn’t played since a T4 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Feb. 10. He had spoken of a sore back heading into the Arnold Palmer, and after making a bogey, a double-bogey, a birdie and three pars, he headed to the clubhouse for treatment.

A former resident of Orlando and Bay Hill member, Day won the 2016 Arnold Palmer Invitational and was among the pre-tournament favorites again this year. He also won THE PLAYERS Championship in 2016; the tournament at TPC Sawgrass begins next week.

Day said that he practiced at TPC Sawgrass last week, and with rest, he hopes to be well enough to tee it up at THE PLAYERS.

“I (aggravated) it last Sunday,” he said, “and then got an MRI Monday, which came back that I had an annular tear in my disc, and then I've got facet problems as well. My back was sore when I was practicing from Tuesday to Saturday, and I was going to practice on Sunday, but I woke up and couldn't really walk or sit in the car.

“I was on a dose pack to try get the inflammation out of it,” he added, “and that didn’t get any better. I saw a physio here (in Orlando) and tried to do as much work as I possibly could to get ready for this week. I couldn’t play at 100 percent today, so I just wanted to see if I could get out here and (my back) may have loosened up. But, unfortunately, it didn’t, so I had to pull out."