The 2021 US Open winner Jon Rahm has withdrawn from the 124th US Open, which starts at Pinehurst on June 13, due to a foot injury.
Rahm, 29, the first Spaniard to win the US Open, withdrew from the LIV Golf tournament in Houston on June 9 after just six holes of the second round because of an infection in his left foot.
He arrived at the North Carolina course of Pinehurst on June 11 to give himself enough time to heal before the US Open.
But he later said on social media: “After consulting with numerous doctors and my team, I have decided it is best for my long-term health to withdraw from this week’s US Open Championship… To say I’m disappointed is a massive understatement.”
On his injury
During a press conference, Rahm expressed his uncertainty about participating in the competition. He stated that he was concerned about his foot injury and wasn’t sure if it would heal in time. The athlete said that his injury was healing, but he was still experiencing pain.
“I have a little hole between my pinky toe and the next one and it got infected… I got a shot to numb the pain [before the second round in Houston] that was supposed to last all round and it lasted two holes… The infection is now controlled, but there’s still swelling and there’s still pain,” Rahm stated.
He added: “There’s a reason I walked out here in a shoe and a flip-flop, trying to keep the area dry and trying to get it to heal as soon as possible… But I can only do what I can do. The human body can only work so fast.”
Due to his inability to earn world ranking points on LIV, he has fallen from third to eighth place in the Official Golf World Rankings.
Source: BBC