Augusta (United States) (AFP) - Americans Kevin Na and Will Zalatoris withdrew from the 87th Masters during the opening round on Thursday.
Na pulled out due to illness on Thursday after playing the first nine holes at 4-over par 40 while Zalatoris withdrew due to an unspecified injury before starting his round.
Na, a 39-year-old South Korean-born American, was one of 18 players from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour who qualified for the Masters.
Na made a dreadful start, driving close to a tree in the rough on the first hole and then going beyond the green with his approach shot -- ending with opened with a double bogey.
Na had an eventful half-round as he birdied the par-5 second hole, before bogeys at the third, fifth and par-3 sixth and a birdie at the par-5 eighth before another bogey on nine.
World number 96 Na's best result at Augusta has been to finish in a share for 12th which has achieved in three of his 11 Masters starts, most recently in 2021.
The 26-year-old Zalatoris finished second at the Masters two years ago and was also runner-up at the PGA Championship in 2022 and tied for second in that year's US Open.
