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2019 Players Championship: Pat Perez 'blew out' his Achilles in freak accident, replaced by Wyndham Clark (Update)
Richard Heathcote
Pat Perez has withdrawn from this week's Players Championship. And unfortunately for the 43-year-old, he could be in danger of missing more than just the tour's flagship event.
On Monday, Perez announced on Instagram that he "blew out" his Achilles, remarking "See y’all down the road somewhere."
Though Perez did not specify the extent and severity of the injury, most Achilles-related issues sideline golfers anywhere from two months to an entire season. Perez played at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and made the cut, although weekend scores of 72 and 75 dropped him to a T-50 finish.
Perez had enjoyed a career revival the past two seasons, notching two victories and more than $7 million in earnings, and the start of the 2018-'19 campaign was just as prosperous, recording two top-10s in four events. However, the new year had been a rough go for Perez, failing to make the cut in four straight appearances, followed by a T-56 at Riviera before his performance at Bay Hill.
Taking his place at the Players Championship will be Wyndham Clark. Making his Sawgrass debut, Clark held the 54-hole lead two weeks ago at the Honda Classic. Though a final-round 72 kept him from the winner's circle, it was still good enough for a T-7, his second consecutive top 10.
Clark will tee off on the 10th hole on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. with Denny McCarthy and Lucas Bjerregaard.
UPDATE: Sources close to Perez told Golf Digest that Perez suffered the injury in a freak accident in the gym. He is scheduled to receive an MRI when he returns home.
(Additional reporting by Brian Wacker)