SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — Jason Day, the 2015 PGA champion and a two-time runner-up at the U.S. Open, withdrew Thursday from this year’s Open at Shinnecock due to a bad back.

The 38-year-old Australian was wincing in pain while warming up on the driving range. Opening on the back nine, he shot 7-over 42 and after making a triple bogey on No. 1, he climbed into a golf cart and left the course.

Day opened the season with a tie for second at the American Express and finished 12th at the Masters, but has struggled since.

He has finished second in the three majors he hasn’t won — most recently in the British Open in 2023. His second-place finishes at the U.S. Open came in 2011 and 2013 and he was runner-up at Augusta in 2011.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf