The latest signature event of the PGA Tour season, the Wells Fargo Championship, had already suffered a blow with the news that World No.1 Scottie Scheffler is skipping the event as the birth of his first child looms.
However, another high-profile player, Ludvig Aberg, has now also withdrawn, this time because of a knee issue.
The Swede made the announcement on social media, writing: “I’m reaching out to let you all know that I’m going to have to withdraw from the Wells Fargo Championship.
"I was very excited to tee it up at Quail Hollow for the first time. Unfortunately, I’m dealing with a knee issue and after consulting with my doctors, we think it’s best that I take some additional time to rest.”
"I was very excited to tee it up at Quail Hollow for the first time. Unfortunately, I’m dealing with a knee issue and after consulting with my doctors, we think it’s best that I take some additional time to rest. I hope everyone has a great week and I look forward to teeing it up… pic.twitter.com/HJ0uzC5GWeMay 6, 2024
The event comes just one week before the second Major of the year, the PGA Championship, so it’s unsurprising that Aberg, who is ranked sixth in the world, has chosen to prioritize an appearance at Valhalla over this week’s event.
He doesn’t appear to have any concerns about doing just that, either His statement concluded: “I hope everyone has a great week, and I look forward to teeing it up next week.”
Aberg’s most recent start came three weeks ago at another signature event, the RBC Heritage, where he finished T10, a performance that came after he had made a hugely impressive maiden Major appearance at The Masters.
At times, Aberg had even threatened to become only the fourth player to win The Masters on debut, before eventually finishing runner-up, four shots behind Scheffler. He will be hoping that an extra week away from competitive action will stand him in good stead for a chance to go one better next week.
Even though neither Aberg nor Scheffler will be appearing at this week’s tournament, there are still many of the world’s biggest names in the field, including Rory McIlroy, who has won the event three times, defending champion Wyndham Clark and 2022 champion Max Homa.
