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Honda Classic: Daniel Berger Withdraws With Injury

By Tim Letcher

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 12: Daniel Berger of the United States plays his shot from the 15th tee during the second round of THE PLAYERS Championship on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 12, 2021 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 12: Daniel Berger of the United States plays his shot from the 15th tee during the second round of THE PLAYERS Championship on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 12, 2021 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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The highest ranked player at this week’s Honda Classic, Daniel Berger, is being forced to withdraw from the event due to a rib injury.

Berger, who hails from nearby Jupiter, Florida, withdrew on Wednesday. At number 15 in the Official World Golf Rankings, Berger was slated to be the top player in the field this week. The field is now left with just two players who are ranked inside the world’s Top 20 – Sungjae Im is number 18 and Lee Westwood is number 19.

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Those two players were already considered among the favorites this week for a couple of reasons. In addition to their world ranking, Im is the defending champion at the event and is among the most talented young players (he’s just 22) in the world.

Westwood has held the 54-hole lead the last two weeks (at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship) but has been unable to hang on to the lead on the final day. Still, the 47-year-old Englishman is playing some of the best golf of his career right now.

However, neither Im not Westwood are as good as Berger at this point in time. Berger won earlier this season at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and tied for eighth at the Players Championship last week. However, the rib injury that he has been dealing with simply would not allow him to play at PGA National this week.

Next. Players Championship: Winners and Losers from TPC Sawgrass. dark

Two other local favorites will also miss this week’s event. Brooks Koepka is still battling a knee injury and is unable to play this week, although his brother Chase is in the field. And Gary Woodland was forced to pull out of the event following a positive test for COVID-19.

Berger’s withdrawal opens the door for a number of other players to contend this week. They’ll all be chasing Im and Westwood but perhaps someone (we’re looking at you Rickie Fowler) can get on track this week with one less high-level player in the field.

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