Jon Rahm announced on Tuesday his withdrawal from the 2024 U.S. Open due to a persistent foot injury. The 2021 champion has been dealing with a lesion that turned into an infection between his fourth and fifth toes on his left foot. Rahm, who arrived at the press center earlier in the day wearing a flip-flop, admitted that he was not at full fitness. He made the decision to withdraw from the competition later in the afternoon.
“After consulting with numerous doctors and my team, I have decided it is best for my long-term health to withdraw from this week’s U.S. Open Championship,” Rahm posted on social media. “To say I’m disappointed is a massive understatement! I wish all my peers the best of luck and want to thank all of the USGA staff, volunteers, and the community of Pinehurst for hosting and putting on what I’m sure will be an amazing championship! Hopefully, I’ll be back in action sooner than later!”
Rahm has had a strong first season on the LIV Golf tour, securing seven top 10 finishes in eight tournaments. Despite his success on the 54-hole circuit, the two-time major champion struggled in the first two majors of the season. He finished T45 in his Masters defense and missed the cut entirely at last month’s PGA Championship.
This early exit ended Rahm’s streak of 18 consecutive made cuts in majors, a record that had been the longest active streak. The last time he missed a cut in a major was the 2019 PGA Championship. The U.S. Open has been a particularly successful tournament for Rahm, where he has not only won but also finished inside the top 25 in the last five editions. Unfortunately, he will not have the chance to compete this year.
“We’ve been trying to figure it out because I think that the closest term would be a lesion on the skin,” Rahm said. “If I were to show you, it’s a little low in between my pinky toe and the next toe. I don’t know how or what happened, but it got infected. The pain was high. On the Saturday round, Saturday morning, I did get a shot to numb the area. It was supposed to last the whole round, and by my second hole, I was in pain already.
“The infection was the worrisome part. The infection is now controlled, but there’s still swelling and there’s still pain. There’s a reason I walked out here in a shoe and a flip-flop, trying to keep the area dry and trying to get that to heal as soon as possible. But I can only do what I can do. The human body can only work so fast.”
