Jason Day Pulls Out of Players Championship Just an Hour Before Tee-off Due to Illness

Australian golfing ace Jason Day pulled out of The Players Championship just an hour prior to his scheduled tee-off on Friday (AEDT) due to illness.

Ranked No.33 in the world, Day recently finished strong at the Arnold Palmer Invitational before a double bogey on the 16th hole during the final round dashed his chances of victory.

He previously clinched The Players Championship title in 2016 while holding the top spot in the world rankings.

In a statement to Australian Golf Digest, Day explained that he had been struck down by a severe stomach virus, prompting his last-minute withdrawal.

Danny Walker stepped in as Day’s replacement, bringing the total number of competitors at TPC Sawgrass to 26 players making their debut.

At the top of the leaderboard following the first round are Camilo Villegas, Lucas Glover, and JJ Spaun, each carding impressive 6-under 66 scores.

Glover remarked, “There are always some excellent scores, but also some tough ones. The margins are incredibly slim here, similar to Augusta or Bay Hill. If you stray just a bit, you can rack up big numbers very quickly.”

“Today, I found myself with plenty of good yardages that allowed me to be aggressive, and I putted exceptionally well.”