PGA Tour Star Jason Day Shockingly Withdraws From 2025 Players Championship After Family Reveals Shocking Medical Details

On March 13, 2025, the golf world was shocked when Jason Day, the top star of the PGA Tour and the 2016 Players Championship champion, was forced to withdraw from the prestigious tournament just hours before the first round began at TPC Sawgrass. The official reason announced by the PGA Tour was that Day had a health problem, and the subsequent revelations from his family shocked fans.

Jason Day reportedly suffered a severe flare-up of a condition he has spoken about publicly in the past: vertigo. However, this time his condition was described as much more severe than fans had previously seen. A member of Day’s family told the press that he had been affected by a severe bout of dizziness the night before the tournament, accompanied by symptoms such as nausea and disorientation, leaving him unable to stand, let alone compete in a golf tournament that requires high levels of concentration like the Players Championship.

“We were really concerned to see Jason like this. The whole family has been hit by a stomach virus over the past week and it seems to have aggravated his condition,” a relative of Day told Australian Golf Digest. “He tried his best to participate, but ultimately his health came first.”

Day’s abrupt withdrawal comes just a week after a strong showing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he finished T8. With solid form in 2025, including a T3 at the American Express in January, Day was expected to be one of the top contenders for a second Players Championship title, so the news was not only disappointing but deeply concerning for the fan base.

Fans expressed their shock and regret on social media. One X account wrote: “Jason Day withdraws from the Players Championship due to illness? I can’t believe it, I had high hopes for him this week!” Another shared: “Heard his family revealed his condition was serious, hope he recovers soon.”

Day has had notable health issues in the past, including collapsing on the course at the 2015 US Open due to dizziness, but he fought through it to win the PGA Championship that same year. While there is no official confirmation that dizziness was the sole cause, the combination of a stomach virus and his medical history seems to have created a perfect storm of health issues that forced him to make the difficult decision.

Day will be replaced by Danny Walker, a PGA Tour rookie who was both excited and thrilled to be playing in his first major event. Walker, a Jacksonville resident, will be in a group with Jordan Spieth and Wyndham Clark, big names he never dreamed of when he started the week as a reserve.

While fans continue to send their well wishes to Jason Day, attention is now also on Danny Walker’s journey at the 2025 Players Championship. With the tournament being golf’s unofficial “fifth Major” and a whopping $25 million prize money, all eyes will be on whether Walker’s fairy tale can begin from here.

Jason Day, currently ranked 33rd in the world, is expected to take some time off to recover before turning his attention to his next big goal: the 2025 Masters, which is less than a month away. Fans will be hoping that the Australian star will soon be back in top form, overcoming his health challenges once again, as he has done so many times during his illustrious career.