2026 was turning out to be a good year for Stephan Jaeger. He entered the Charles Schwab Challenge after two consecutive good finishes, 18th at the PGA Championship and 9th at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Maybe this $9.9 M event could have been his chance to get another win in the bag after his lone 2024 Houston Open victory. And this is what makes what happened with him at Colonial Country Club really unfortunate.

The PGA Tour Communications confirmed that the German golfer has withdrawn from the ongoing PGA Tour event because of an unfortunate back injury. In his last two appearances at this event, Jaeger hadn’t had much luck. He missed the cut in 2022, and then in 2023, he finished 68th with a 7-over on the board.

In this year’s edition, on this Thursday, he opened with 5 over and had played the first nine on Friday at 2 over before withdrawing. With the projected cut line of the event midway through the second round being 2 under, making the cut for Jaeger would have been hard. However, this isn’t his first withdrawal.

He withdrew from the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, the 2024 Valero Texas Open, and then the 2025 John Deere Classic. None of these withdrawals came with any explanation. But this is the year his game was looking good. Out of 13 events he has played so far, he has had 3 top 10 finishes, with his best one being a 5th place finish at the Farmers Insurance Open.

We don’t know what kind of injury Stephen Jaeger has right now, but throughout his career, he has remained very active. He partnered with “Fit for Golf” trainer Michael Carroll to get stronger and increase swing speed. His exercise routine mainly focuses on building muscle in his shoulders, back, and legs. The golfer also uses specific pre-round mobility exercises before hitting the course. So, we are sure he will be back to competing in no time, with proper rehab and rest. Just like others did this season.

In March 2026, Rory McIlroy withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational before his third round after a small twinge in his back worsened into a muscle spasm while he warmed up on the range. After a few days of rest and rehab, he was back on the course for his title defense at The PLAYERS Championship.

Then there is Collin Morikawa. His back flared up during the practice shot at TPC Sawgrass, and he had to withdraw. He then missed a few events on the PGA Tour and then played straight at the Masters. Even Tiger Woods had to withdraw from the 2014 Honda Classic mid-round after a lower back spasm flared up during his warm-up. These small issues often accumulate over time and create bigger back problems that end up requiring multiple surgeries.

Back injuries are a recurring problem for professional golfers

Lower back pain or back injuries are one of the most common ailments and causes for withdrawal in professional golf. If we look at the numbers, data from over 31,000 golfers collected by the Titleist Performance Institute found that 28.1% of all the players deal with lower back pain after every round. And this increases among professional golfers, specifically leaving them with a lifetime prevalence of a lower back injury, three times higher than for amateurs.

The recurring reason for this issue is the golf swing. When golfers lack mobility in the ankle, hip, thoracic spine, or shoulders, the lower back is often forced to absorb the extra load. The repeated stress across hundreds of swings per week makes the muscles strain, causing disc injuries, and even stress factors become a consistent risk at a professional level.

There are certain precautions that a pro can take to prevent back pain on the golf course:

• Strengthening your core is very important. Exercises like planks and side bends help stabilize the spine during rotation, reducing unnecessary strain on the lower back.
• Stretching becomes incredibly necessary, as it helps increase the range of motion in the upper spine and hips and takes the heavy rotational load off the lower back.
• It is important to use the correct size of golf clubs. Improperly fitted clubs can multiply the problems in your swing and your back.
• Always take a few practice swings before the round-up to gradually build up for a full extension, which is always going to be helpful.

The question now turns to the Charles Schwab Challenge, which had already seen a raft of high-profile names like Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, and Brooks Koepka not play here. Now, mid-tournament, the German pro, Stephan Jaeger, has joined the list. His withdrawal adds to what had become a difficult week for headcount at one of the PGA Tour’s most historic venues.