Host of PGA Tour winners forced out of CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Sungjae Im joins Will Zalatoris and others in withdrawing from the PGA Tour's CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
Sungjae Im has been forced to withdraw from this week's CJ Cup Byron Nelson at the last minute, according to the PGA Tour communications team.
The two-time PGA Tour winner Im bowed out of the tournament prior to today's first round due to illness.
The withdrawal will be a bitter blow for the tournament sponsor, CJ, since Im is one of their ambassadors on the PGA Tour.
Im has been replaced in the field by his South Korean compatriot Seung-yul Noh, who won the 2014 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Despite successfully defending the Woori Financial Group Championship on the KPGA last week, Im has chalked up just one top-10 finish on the PGA Tour this season.
With Im being forced out of the tournament, Noh now finds himself out in the star-studded threeball for the first two rounds alongside defending champion Jason Day and pre-tournament favourite Jordan Spieth.
Earlier in the day, four-time PGA Tour winner Sean O'Hair was also forced to WD from the tournament.
The American was then replaced in the field by Scotland's two-time PGA Tour winner Russell Knox.
Only an hour later, it emerged Knox was not able to play in the event as the next player on the waiting list.
Knox's place was then offered up to another four-time PGA Tour winner in Scott Piercy.
Earlier this week, one of the tournament favourites in Will Zalatoris was forced to withdraw from the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
Zalatoris confirmed he needed extra recovery time for his ongoing back troubles.
The golfer missed a large chunk of the last campaign after his back flared up in his warm-up before the 2023 Masters.
He made his return to elite men's professional golf months later at Tiger Woods' Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas after undergoing surgery to resolve the problem.
"I am frustrated to miss a tournament I've enjoyed since I was nine years old," Zalatoris wrote on Tuesday.
He added: "My back needed some rest and recovery.
"I am ahead of schedule according to my doctors but unfortunately the first six months back are the most important for the long term health of my back.
"I need to be prudent to make sure I don't miss a big chunk of time again.
"I hate that a flare up happened during one of my favourite weeks all year, but we knew something like this was a possibility early on in my return to golf."
Read his full statement here.
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