Patrick Cantlay’s participation in The Open Championship at Royal Troon is now uncertain after he was forced to withdraw from the John Deere Classic due to an injury. Cantlay is ranked eighth in the world.
There are questions about Patrick Cantlay’s ability to compete in The Open Championship at Royal Troon later this month after he was forced to withdraw from the John Deere Classic due to injury.
With an undisclosed fitness issue keeping him out of the race, Scotland’s Russell Knox has taken the No. 8 spot in the world rankings and was the clear favorite going into the TPC Deere Run tournament.
With Cantlay out of the picture, Jordan Spieth, Sepp Straka, and Sungjae Im take center stage as the favorites to win in Illinois. Cantlay’s withdrawal continues a run of bad luck for him; he hasn’t won on the PGA Tour in almost two years, and his performances this season have only produced four top-10 finishes.
With his eyes now set on his recuperation, Cantlay hopes to be ready for the Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick the following week. Less than seven days later, Royal Troon hosts the Open.
Cantlay posted on social media, informing followers, “I sustained an injury while training for the John Deere Classic.” “Unfortunately, due to extreme caution and per my team’s recommendation, I must miss this week’s event. We anticipate returning to competition quickly. We appreciate the support from our Quad City fans and hope to see you again next year.
Cantlay’s withdrawal is a blow for a tournament that, because of its calendar placement immediately after two PGA Tour events and the U.S. Open, has struggled to draw a strong field in recent years. The final major of the year is coming up soon, and the top 23 players in the Official World Golf Ranking aren’t playing because they’re getting ready for something in Scotland.
Cantlay’s injury presents Spieth with a chance to get back on track and prove he still has what it takes to compete with the best in the world. The three-time major champion has recently been an afterthought at the biggest tournaments, finishing tied-41st at the PGA Championship and tied-43rd at the U.S. Open after missing the cut at The Players and The Masters, respectively.
With a third-place finish at The Sentry and a tie for sixth at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the 30-year-old had a great start to the season. With just one top-10 result, five missed cuts, and a disqualification at The Genesis Invitational for signing the wrong scorecard, he has been largely inconsequential since then.
Consequently, Spieth’s ranking in the OWGR has dropped to No. 32, and his significant wins are starting to fade in memory. However, the field this week is less competitive, giving the former world No. 1 an opportunity to get back on track.
