Four-time PGA Tour winner, Si Woo Kim, was forced to withdraw during the second round of the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, due to a lingering back injury. This comes a day after another headline withdrawal by Jordan Spieth, compounding the tournament’s early exit drama.
Kim, who shot an even-par 71 in Round 1, struggled over the front nine on Friday, but it was the 12th hole where the pain became too significant. Trailing at +8 for the tournament after posting three bogeys and two double bogeys, he exited the course knowing that his body simply couldn’t cope with the demand.
A Week Defined by Withdrawals
Kim’s withdrawal follows hot on the heels of Spieth’s decision to leave mid-round on Thursday due to a neck and upper-back issue–his first-ever PGA Tour withdrawal in 297 starts. That rare move set a somber tone for Cromwell’s opening days and raised questions about the toll signature events take–even for seasoned competitors.
Adding to the wave of early exits at the Travelers Championship, Brian Campbell withdrew ahead of the first round due to a lingering shoulder injury. The 31-year-old, who captured his first PGA Tour win earlier this season at the Mexico Open, was replaced in the field by Davis Riley.
Though Campbell’s withdraw didn’t carry the same spotlight as Kim or Spieth, it continued a troubling trend of injury-related exits that reshaped the event’s depth chart before Friday even began.
Kim, 29, revealed his back began to stiffen during warmups Friday, but chose to start his round regardless. By the 12th hole, it became clear that continuing could worsen the condition, prompting his departure. Although there was no specific comment on the nature of the injury–whether strain, disc trouble, or chronic wear–it’s now clear his body isn’t responding as hoped.
What It Means for Kim–and the Travelers Field
Consistency in professional golf isn’t just about ball-striking–it’s about showing up week after week. That becomes a challenge when back issues flare up at multiple events, as they now have for Kim.
The pattern raises real questions about how much wear his body can withstand during the tour’s most demanding stretch.
Heading into the Travelers Championship, Kim wasn’t exactly on the betting radar. According to Golf.com, he entered the week at +7000 odds to win the tournament. That placed him among the long shots–roughly in the same tier as players like J.T. Poston and Akshay Bhatia.
To put that into context, tournament favorites like defending champion Scottie Scheffler were listed at +300, while Rory McIlroy sat at +1200 based on FanDuel Sportsbook lines. Other contenders–Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland–hovered in the +1600 to +3300 range.
Oakmont Results
Kim opened the U.S. Open at Oakmont with a strong 2-under 68, briefly putting himself in contention on one of the hardest setups in championship golf. That first round tied him for third and looked like the start of something promising.
But the course wore him down. Kim finished the week at +12, tied for 42nd, after a closing 76 that reflected just how punishing Oakmont became. He admitted, “I feel like this course is too hard for me,” offering a rare moment of honesty. In hindsight, the physical toll of battling Oakmont may have played a role in the back stiffness that forced his Travelers withdrawal just days later.
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