Billy Horschel withdraws from 3M Open before Round 1

BLAINE, Minn. – Billy Horschel withdrew from the 3M Open Thursday morning due to an illness.

"Yeah, it was unfortunate. I wasn't feeling great late last night and took some medicine. Woke up, 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 told PGA TOUR Communications.

"Disappointing. I was looking forward to playing here at 3M. Played here last year, had a good finish. The event is well run by 3M and Tracy and Hollis, so very disappointed not to be able to play here after coming off a really great finish last week."

Horschel pulled out of the tournament about an hour before he was scheduled to begin his first round. Adam Long replaced him in the field.

It’s been an emotionally draining week for Horschel, who finished runner-up to Xander Schauffele at last week’s Open Championship. He began the final round at Royal Troon with the solo lead and shot 3-under 68 but finished second to Schauffele, who carded a final-round 65 that he described as the round of his life. Horschel flew Monday from Scotland to Minnesota and was one of the first golfers on the TPC Twin Cities range Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m.

Horschel, 37, moved to No. 26 on the FedExCup standings with his tie for second at The Open, well positioned to make a run at a TOUR Championship appearance and potentially a second FedExCup title. He said Wednesday that he plans to play the Wyndham Championship in two weeks.