Two-time PGA Tour winner forced out of John Deere Classic as injury problems strike again

Seamus Power has withdrawn from the John Deere Classic after aggravating a back injury during the opening round at TPC Deere Run.

The two-time PGA Tour winner made a promising start with two birdies on his front nine before his round unravelled as injury took hold.

After bogeys at the 10th and 11th, Power appeared to be struggling physically and endured a miserable finish, carding three consecutive double bogeys from the 15th hole before salvaging a par at the last to sign for a six-over-par 77.

The 39-year-old Irishman informed PGA Tour officials of his withdrawal shortly after completing his round, bringing another frustrating chapter in his ongoing battle with injury.

Power's recent struggles can largely be traced back to persistent hip problems that surfaced in late 2023. 

Those issues led to a series of mid-right back muscle injuries throughout 2024 and into 2025, forcing multiple withdrawals despite scans showing no significant structural damage.

The injuries have stalled the momentum of a player who reached a career-high world ranking of No. 28 after claiming PGA Tour victories at the 2021 Barbasol Championship and the 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Power looked to be building a genuine Ryder Cup case following his Bermuda triumph, but recurring injuries have prevented him from rediscovering that level of form.

Now ranked 198th in the Official World Golf Ranking, the Irishman is expected to slip outside the world's top 200 following his latest withdrawal.

His difficult season has yielded just two top-20 finishes in 14 PGA Tour starts, while he failed to qualify for any of this year's four major championships. His last major appearance came at the 2025 PGA Championship, where he missed the cut.

Power's withdrawal leaves playing partners Mackenzie Hughes and Kevin Roy to continue the tournament as a two-ball during Friday's second round. Roy opened with a two-under 69, while Hughes carded a one-over 72.

At the top of the leaderboard, Lucas Glover and Zac Blair shared the early lead after impressive opening rounds of eight-under-par 63.

Pre-tournament favourite Ben Griffin recovered from a quadruple-bogey eight at the 14th to post a two-under 69.

Power was one of several withdrawals at this week's event. 

Patrick Rodgers pulled out before the opening round and was replaced by Austin Cook, while Jhonattan Vegas, Nico Echavarria and Taylor Montgomery all withdrew before the tournament began, allowing Cameron Champ, Noah Goodwin and Will Gordon into the field.