The John Deere Classic is underway this week at the TPC Deere Run, headlined by two-time winner Jordan Spieth and tournament favorites like Ben Griffin and Chris Gotterup. However, Jhonattan Vegas, hoping to bounce back from his last visit here, will not be teeing up in the field this week. The Venezuelan posted a statement on X early Wednesday morning to inform.

“I’m so sorry to WD from the @JDCLASSIC today due to ongoing shoulder issues. I wish the tournament all the best and hope to be back to the @JDCLASSIC next year. Until next time,” he shared in a post on X.

The golfer was bound to be paired with Karl Vilips and Matt Kuchar to begin at the tenth tee at 1:45 PM EDT. Now, Noah Godwin and Cameron Champ sit atop the alternative list and stand to benefit from the opening.

The withdrawal pulls Vegas from the 144-player field that already lost several big names to this week’s lighter schedule. Vegas has not given a timeline for his return, and the PGA Tour has not commented on the severity of the issue. His last appearance in the tournament came in 2024, when he finished T20 while posting a score of 17-under.

Vegas’ shoulder issue is not without precedent. He had surgery on his left shoulder in 2013, and it cost him most of that season, a six-month hiatus.

“I feel like I had to put an end to this problem because it was affecting my game,” he had tweeted in 2013 after a successful surgery. “I’m going to work hard to come back stronger than ever.”

Nearly a decade later, a bone fragment broke off in his elbow in 2022 and caused inflammation in the same shoulder. That led to a second surgery in May 2023. Doctors told him that the pain would never fully go away, but he has still played on the field anyway. He included his performance during a run at the 2024 3M Open title that ended a seven-year win drought.

The 2026 season has also been a grind for the 41-year-old. In 16 starts this season, he has made cuts in only nine. His best finish this season was in March at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, where he finished at T14, going ten under, which included his only other top-25 finish this season.

His T3 finish at the 2014 John Deere Classic with a 19-under score has long been associated with his name. For now, the focus shifts to how the alternatives fill out the field at the TPC Deere Run and whether Vegas can manage the shoulder well enough to keep his promise of coming back next year.