Francesco Molinari Withdraws From PGA Championship With Back Injury

The Italian won't compete in the PGA Championship this week, after suffering with a back injury in his warm up for the start of play on Thursday.

Francesco Molinari Withdraws From PGA Championship With Back Injury

Francesco Molinari has withdrawn from the PGA Championship this week, citing a back injury as the reason for him to not participate.

Molinari took to Twitter to share a message in both Italian and English with his followers.

"Unfortunately I had to withdraw this morning during my warm up due to an issue with my lower back," Molinari told his followers on Twitter.

"I hope to get better quickly and be able to get back playing as soon as possible."

One of the world's best players in 2018, Molinari has endured a difficult couple of years in his golfing career.

The 38-year-old hasn't won on either the PGA Tour or European Tour since the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2019, and has dropped to 144th in the Official Golf World Ranking after reaching a career high of fifth in 2018.

That year he won The Open Championship, while also scoring five out of five points at the Ryder Cup as Europe defeated the US 17.5 - 10.5.

However, his Ryder Cup place for September at Whistling Straits seems in jeopardy now, which his PGA Championship withdrawal certainly won't help.

Last year he didn't play much after moving from London to California, having lived in the English capital for 11 years.

This also isn't the first time the Italian has suffered with a back injury, as he withdrew from the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational with a similar issue.

First alternate Brandon Hagy, from Arizona, will replace Molinari in the field, with Hagy having practised at Kiawah Island this week.

Hagy turned professional in 2014, though he has only competed at one Major, the 2015 US Open, where he was cut.

He currently competes on the PGA Tour, though he hasn't won an event while playing on it.