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Brooks Koepka could miss Masters after pulling out of Arnold Palmer Invitational with rib injury

Brooks Koepka is treated for a rib injury during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill
Image: Brooks Koepka: Gets treatment early in the final round at Bay Hill

Brooks Koepka's hopes of playing in his first Masters next month are in doubt after he was forced to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational due to injury.

The in-form American was clearly in discomfort during his final round at Bay Hill, and he reluctantly headed back to the clubhouse shortly after wincing in pain following his tee shot at the 12th hole.

Koepka, who won his maiden PGA Tour title in Phoenix earlier this season, later explained he had suffered a dislocated rib in his left side while practising on the range on Friday.

Despite the problem, he managed to fire a commendable 66 but he was eight shots higher on Saturday as he complained of being unable to breathe at times.

Koepka also admitted he twice had the rib popped back into place, but he opted to soldier on and attempt to complete the tournament.

However, he was three over for the final day when he was forced to pull out, and he will now head home for treatment before deciding whether to take his place at the Shell Houston Open the week before the first major of the year at Augusta National.

No quitter

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“It is just really painful, and it hurts to breathe,” Koepka said. "I don’t quit, I am not a quitter and now that I have quit, it feels like I should have done it yesterday. It just got to the point where I can’t take the pain.

“It is not fun to even take steps and walk so walking on the golf course isn’t fun. With the weeks I have coming up, I don’t want to make anything any worse.

“I am just hoping to get better, I am off next week anyway so I will just rest. I am going to get a lot of treatment and see how it goes.

“Today, I hit an eight-iron into the 11th out of the rough, and I turned to my caddie and said that was the worst pain I have ever had. On the 12th tee it tweaked again and I just dropped to the ground. It hurt so badly I couldn’t really breath properly.

“I tweaked the same spot, the same muscle, a year ago. But I wouldn’t say that was anything big at all. Very minor, a day or two kind of sore. If you take deep breathes, you really struggle."

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