Former World No. 1 Jon Rahm Withdraws From U.S. Open With Injury

The 2021 U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm has withdrawn from this year's tournament at Pinehurst, because of a toe injury.

Rahm confirmed the withdrawal in a social media post Tuesday afternoon, saying he was disappointed.

"After consulting with numerous doctors and my team, I have decided it is best for my long-term health, to withdraw from this week's US Open Championship. To say I’m disappointed is a massive understatement! I wish all my peers the best of luck and want to thank all of the USGA staff, volunteers and community of Pinehurst for hosting and putting on what I’m sure will be an amazing championship! Hopefully I'll be back in action sooner than later!"

Rahm was walking around Pinehurst with one shoe on his good foot, and a flip-flop on his injured one (seen below). And during his earlier news conference, he seemed hopeful about playing.

"Man, as a golfer, this is definitely a bucket list golf course to come and play, whether it's a major championship or not," Rahm said. "To see images from what it looked like in 2005 and then what Crenshaw and his partners did on the redo in 2014 is quite incredible."

Rahm said the infection has been an issue for a little bit, and has been frustrating.

"I don't know how or what happened, but it got infected," he said. "The pain was high. On the Saturday round, Saturday morning, I did get a shot to numb the area. It was supposed to last the whole round, and by my second hole I was in pain already. The infection was the worrisome part. The infection is now controlled, but there's still swelling and there's still pain. There's a reason I walked out here in a shoe and a flip-flop, trying to keep the area dry and trying to get that to heal as soon as possible."

Rahm's withdrawal opened up a spot for alternate Jackson Suber, who will now be part of the 156 player field.

"Suber, who will compete in his first U.S. Open, has recorded two top-10 finishes on the Korn Ferry Tour this season," the USGA said in a release. "He became the 11th player in the University of Mississippi history to earn All-America recognition in 2021-22."

Pinehurst is never lacking from a storyline when it comes to U.S. Open week, and there are already several emerging after two days of practice. The biggest one so far is how the weather is going to impact play.

Tuesday's practice round so temperatures climbing near 90 degrees with only light winds and high humidity. It's only going to get hotter as the week switches to tournament play on Thursday.

For Tiger Woods, he doesn't see this as a problem, but rather an advantage. With multiple surgeries and recovery periods under his belt, cold temperatures and rain have proven to be his nemesis at some tournaments. Here though, Tiger says it'll be like home.

"It's like home. Hot and humid is what we deal with every single day at home in Florida, so that's
nothing new," Woods said during Tuesday's news conference. "It's just making sure that I keep hydrated and the mental tax that the heat will bring. It's going to bring it to all of us, not just me. Everyone is going to be tested."

That test is more what Woods and others say they are worried about. Pinehurst No. 2 is unforgiving. Mistakes prove costly on a dry U.S. Open course here.

"It's going to make for long rounds with the falloffs and run-offs on the greens," Woods said. "The rounds time-wise are going to be a little bit longer. Then when you're out in the heat for that length and period of time, that's going to take a little bit of wear and tear on you."

Wednesday will bring the final shot for the golfers to get some experience on the course before tournament play starts Thursday. One golfer who will not be playing the rest of the week is the former No. 1 player in the world Jon Rahm. Rahm withdrew from the tournament Tuesday, thanks to an infection on his toe he said he couldn't work past.

"The infection is now controlled, but there's still swelling and there's still pain," Rahm said. "There's a reason I walked out here in a shoe and a flip-flop, trying to keep the area dry and trying to get that to heal as soon as possible. But I can only do what I can do. The human body can only work so fast."