Billy Horschel, who tied for second at last week’s Open Championship after holding the 54-hole lead, withdrew from the 3M Open on Thursday morning, citing illness. However, many fans are calling his withdrawal into question, accusing him of faking his symptoms.
“I wasn’t feeling great late last night and took some medicine,” Horschel told the tour’s communications staff about an hour before his tee time. “Had decent sleep but woke up and just have a fever, body is just not wanting to respond, every muscle feels like it’s locked up. Tried to do a little warmup in the gym, just didn’t respond. Tried to go out to the golf course and hit some balls, body’s just not wanting to cooperate.”
Horschel shot 3-under 68 in last Sunday’s final round at Royal Troon and finished tied for second with Justin Rose, two strokes behind Xander Schauffele. He arrived in Minnesota on Monday.
Despite his claim of illness, Horschel’s recent performance and the timing of his withdrawal have led many to believe he came to the 3M Open for show and had no intention of competing. Horschel finished 13th in last year’s event at the TPC Twin Cities and is currently 28th in the FedEx Cup standings. With five top-10 finishes this season, including a win at the Corales Puntacana Championship in April, fans are skeptical of his sudden illness.
Many are questioning the authenticity of his claims, suggesting that Horschel’s withdrawal was more about preserving his standing rather than any real physical ailment.