Skip to content

Justin Rose pulls out of Hero World Challenge, leaving Tiger Woods to play solo

Justin Rose suffered a 'slight back injury' in the opening round

Justin Rose will be out of action until 2017 after he was forced to withdraw from the Hero World Challenge before the second round began in the Bahamas.

Rose was making his first appearance since the Ryder Cup as he decided to take two months off to rest a back problem he has been dealing with since May.

Sky Sports Black Friday sale
Sky Sports Black Friday sale

Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price!

But the Olympic champion suffered a minor recurrence of the injury during his first-round 74 at Albany which left him at the foot of the elite 18-player field on two over par.

Rose opted to exercise caution and pull out of the event rather than risk aggravating his back ailment further, and he is expected to undergo treatment over the Christmas and New Year period.

The Englishman was scheduled to play in the first group out in the second round with tournament host Tiger Woods, who teed off playing solo for only the second time in his professional career.

Justin Rose was in last place after his opening 74 in the Bahamas
Image: Justin Rose was in last place after his opening 74 in the Bahamas

Rose first suffered the injury during the Players Championship, and he was forced to miss the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth as well as the following month's Memorial, the tournament in which he made his PGA Tour breakthrough in 2010.

He managed to return for the US Open at Oakmont, where he missed the cut, and he was tied for 22nd at both The Open and the PGA Championship before claiming his historic Olympic golf medal in Rio.

Also See:

Justin Rose during the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston
Image: Rose was returning from an extended break to rest a back injury

But after winning two points from his five matches in Europe's Ryder Cup defeat at Hazeltine, Rose announced that he was taking an extended break from the game following an "intense summer schedule".

He released a statement which read: "As many of you know, during the Players Championship I experienced discomfort in my back from a disc herniation and was sidelined for the following month. 

Rose birdied three of the last four holes to close on two under
Image: Rose first suffered the problem at the Players Championship in May

I worked hard to be able to return for the US Open, but my ongoing tournament schedule combined with heavy preparation for the Olympics did not allow for full and proper recovery. At this point in my career, it is important to invest in my body, and this time off is crucial for me to return to peak performance."

Live PGA Tour Golf

Rose subsequently missed the British Masters supported by Sky Sports as well as the Race to Dubai Final Series on the European Tour.

Follow the progress of Tiger Woods on his return to competitive golf. Watch the Hero World Challenge live over the weekend on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf.

Around Sky