PGA Veteran Makes Sudden Injury Decision at Wyndham Championship

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Adam Schenk made a sudden injury-related decision at the Wyndham Championship, abruptly ending his appearance at the PGA Tour event.

Adam Schenk walked off Sedgefield Country Club early Friday, withdrawing from the Wyndham Championship’s second round with a lower back injury.

The withdrawal ends Schenk’s tournament without a paycheck and reopens questions about the back trouble that has periodically interrupted the 34-year-old’s breakthrough stretch since last fall.

“Adam Schenk WD during the second round of the Wyndham Championship with a lower back injury,” according to a statement from PGA TOUR Communications.

Schenk opened the tournament Thursday with a 2-over 72 on the par-70 layout, a round that left him buried near the bottom of a leaderboard packed with players in the 60s. He was positioned outside the projected cut line entering Round 2, according to The Associated Press. He did not complete his second round before the injury forced him out.

Schenk arrived at Sedgefield ranked 157th in the FedEx Cup standings, a number that left him needing a big week just to climb inside the top 70 who advance to the playoffs.

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Schenk’s Career Includes Lone PGA Tour Win

Adam Cole Schenk grew up on his family’s sod farm in Vincennes, Indiana, and turned professional in 2015 after a standout run at Purdue University, where he twice won as a freshman and set the program’s career scoring-average record, according to his PGA Tour bio. He worked his way up through PGA Tour Latinoamérica and the developmental Korn Ferry Tour before earning a card for the 2018 season.

Schenk carried two runner-up finishes and a stack of near-misses into last November’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship, his 243rd start on Tour. Playing through sustained winds near 40 mph at Port Royal Golf Course, he closed with a 1-under 71 and survived a missed short putt at the 17th to win by a single stroke.

“It’s somewhat life changing. It’s life changing I get two more years on the PGA Tour,” Schenk said, as quoted by Golf Digest.

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Withdrawal Has Little Impact On Wyndham Field

The Bermuda win secured Schenk a two-year exemption through 2027, but his form has cooled since. His world ranking has slipped to 187th, down from a career high in the 40s.

Schenk has recorded no wins in 2026, with his best finish an 11th at the Farmers Insurance Open and a T33 at the RBC Heritage, according to season results tracked by CBS Sports. He has missed 10 cuts across 21 starts this year and the Wyndham withdrawal leaves him with season earnings around $420,000.

Schenk’s early exit changes little for the rest of the field. He was projected outside the cut line when he withdrew, and the Wyndham Championship remains the last event before the top 70 in points advance to the playoffs. His departure does not open a meaningful path for anyone chasing a playoff spot, nor does it alter the leaderboard among contenders for the title.

Schenk has dealt with back issues before, including a prior withdrawal from a tournament due to spasms. No timetable for his recovery had been announced as of Friday.