Arnold Palmer Invitational: Daniel Berger still leads after Rory McIlroy withdrawal

Akshay Bhatia closed the hole on chief Daniel Berger on the Arnold Palmer Invitational, from which Rory McIlroy was compelled to withdraw on Saturday.

The third spherical needed to be accomplished on Sunday as performed at Bay Hill in Orlando was suspended on Saturday due to darkness.

American Berger was two pictures away from Bhatia at that time however his compatriot will head into the ultimate spherical just one adrift of the leaders, who stays on 13 beneath par.

Before the third spherical, McIlroy was 9 pictures again in a share of ninth place however he suffered spasms in his decrease again earlier than beginning his spherical.

The Northern Ireland participant’s exit was introduced by the PGA Tour about half-hour earlier than his tee time.

In a later assertion, the five-time main winner mentioned: “While warming up in the gym this morning, I felt a small twinge in my back.

“As I began hitting balls on the vary earlier than the spherical, it worsened and developed into muscle spasms in my decrease again. Unfortunately, I’m not in a position to proceed and should withdraw.”

McIlroy had moved to four under on Friday with a round of 68, having shot level par on Thursday.

Having birdied four of the first seven holes on the back nine, McIlroy had said he was “actually happy”, adding he had played a “managed, affected person spherical of golf”.

The 36-year-old, who was competing in his third PGA Tour event of the season, is due to defend his titles at the Players Championship at Sawgrass next week and the Masters at Augusta from April 9-12.

A play-off win on the latter in opposition to Justin Rose final 12 months noticed McIlroy become the sixth man to complete a career Grand Slamending an 11-year drought on the sport’s 4 greatest competitions.