The LPGA Tour seems to be suffering through an injury nightmare silently. While all eyes are glued to the Open, the LPGA Tour’s Ohio event field got smaller. Natalie Gulbis has pulled out of the Dana Open with an injury. The LPGA media didn’t divulge the details of the injury. Gulbis was yet to tee off her opening round at the time of withdrawal. The 41-year-old was paired with Ilhee Lee of South Korea and Min Jee Lee of Australia.

This is the second time this month that the LPGA Tour played with a smaller field than anticipated. In the Amundi Evian Championship, India’s Diksha Dagar pulled out due to illness. Ashleigh Buhai, too, withdrew from Evian-les-Bains, citing injury concerns.

Late withdrawals have plagued the LPGA Tour this season. Earlier, a staggering 10 players withdrew from the Mizuho Americas Open. The defending champion, Rose Zhang, was forced to leave because of intestinal issues. Maja Stark, Paula Creamer, Ruoning Yin, and Haeran Ryu were other notables leaving the field mid-round. 

Of the ten players, only three pulled out because of injuries, raising concern about an illness among the other seven. LPGA Tour was forced to release a statement afterward, writing, “Medical professionals on site have treated several athletes the symptoms related to a viral infection.” Fortunately, that didn’t have a lingering effect on any of them.

For Natalie Gulbis, the Dana Open withdrawal is a personal setback. The American International has yet to play a full round this year. Gulbis teed off in only five events last year, missing the cut in four and withdrawing after the first round from one.

Injuries have plagued the three-time Solheim Cupper for the better part of the last decade. She once thought of hanging up her clubs as well, due to recurring back injuries.

Natalie Gulbis considered LPGA retirement 14 years ago

Gulbis was only 27 when she understood her body had given up. Her back, like Tiger Woods, has endured quite a lot at a young age. Dubbed the next big face on the LPGA Tour in the 2000s, Gulbis couldn’t unlock the full potential of a star.

Niggling injuries limited her practice time to three hours a day, far from enough for a professional athlete. On top of it, Gulbis was unable to compete at her full strength in courses with thick, rough, and rolling greens. As a result, she suffered in the limited number of events she teed off.

For three grueling years between 2015 and 2018, Gulbis’s goal was simply to book a weekend spot. It was similar to what Tiger Woods is enduring this year. A lack of competitive golf has effectively ruined his chances in the majors. At the same time, the 48-year-old can’t take the risk of shoehorning one event between two majors, fearing an injury.

Natalie Gulbis, though, eventually played her final full season in 2020. The 41-year-old now tees off only a few times a year. She has one win on the Tour, the 2007 Evian Masters.