The Players Championship is something no professional golfer would want to miss. And despite entering TPC Sawgrass as one of the more stable performers in the extended field, Ryan Fox had to abruptly withdraw from the tournament as the latest details emerge.

PGA Tour Communications first notified of Fox’s withdrawal due to an illness. The exact reason wasn’t known. Replacements are already lined up for him, and David Ford will play instead of him alongside Chris Kirk and Keegan Bradley in the 1:18 p.m. tee time off No. 10. Interestingly, most people thought that Ford would be replacing Rory McIlroy.

The world No. 2 has been suffering from back discomfort and withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week. If it had happened, he would have played alongside Xander Schauffele and Hideki Matsuyama.

“That would be sick! But, even if I don’t, it’s been sweet to experience the Players as a player. I’ve been here as a spectator,” David Ford said. Meanwhile, Ford’s presence at TPC Sawgrass feels fated.

Ford was the first alternate on the list for the Players Championship 2026. However, he was initially third on the list after Patton Kizzire and Seamus Power. The PGA Tour selected the two to play to complete the threesomes when the field was expanded to 123. Thus, David Ford became the first on the alternate list. Now, he won’t have to wait on Rory McIlroy for his chance.

Update: Hours after the article was first published, Fox himself revealed the reason for his withdrawal, which wasn’t illness exactly. The golfer shared that he had to undergo a medical procedure to remove a kidney stone. He shared a picture of himself from the hospital, along with a caption that read:

“Not exactly the week I had planned here @theplayers . Unfortunately some kidney stones took me down on Tuesday night and then had to be dealt with surgically this afternoon. Devastated to miss out on such an amazing event, hoping to have a quick recovery and be back at it soon.”

The last time Fox played the event in 2025, he finished at T20 with rounds of 72-70-72-70. The New Zealand professional has also won 2 events in 2025 – the RBC Canadian Open and the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic. These are some reasons why he was also one of the most solid mid-tier value picks in sports betting. However, he withdrew for unknown reasons after the lineups were closed.

Now, regardless of who Ford plays with, it will still be a one-of-a-kind experience for the young professional to play in such a competitive field, featuring elites like McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Tommy Fleetwood, and others.

Ford’s journey so far this season has been better than that of 2025, and the experience he gets at the Players Championship will surely help him take his skills one step further. He is coming off a T16 at the Puerto Rico Open. It was his second top-20 finish of the season after the T13 at the American Express 2026.

At the same time, Collin Morikawa, who was one of the favorites heading into the PLAYERS Championship, had to withdraw early. On the opening day, on his second hole itself, Morikawa pulled his back while practicing his swing before teeing it up. When he wasn’t able to continue after some stretches, he withdrew from the event.

If someone withdraws now, John Parry is next on the alternate list to tee up at the event. This is not the first time, though, that Ryan Fox has withdrawn.

Ryan Fox’s past withdrawals

Ryan Fox withdrew from the 2023 RBC Heritage during the first round after just nine holes. He cited illness after battling a cold that started during his Masters debut the prior week.

The 2023 Masters was his first major event. He finished T26 following rounds of 70-71-74-73. Thanks to that, he got a special exemption into the $20 million Signature Event. In Round 1, he scored 6-over 37 through his opening nine holes at Harbour Town Golf Links. This also included a triple-bogey. He then announced his withdrawal mid-round.

Ryan Fox’s previous withdrawals because of illness add some context to his latest exit. However, neither he nor the PGA Tour has shared the exact details of his current withdrawal. Regardless of the reasons, it gave David Ford an excellent opportunity to learn from the game’s elites.