Danielle Kang watches her drive on the fifth tee during the first round of the LPGA Drive On Championship. Meg Oliphant
Danielle Kang was taken to ER on Thursday after withdrawing during the first round of the Drive On Championship. After playing the 14th hole, Kang pulled out of play officially due to illness, according to an LPGA official. The 30-year-old shared more details on her Instagram story in the evening, explaining that had a respiratory infection and severe nausea during play. The post included a photo of an IV in her arm.
“I thought with some medicine I can push through this week but now I see it was a bit too ambitious,” Kang posted.
It’s a road bump amid a solid start to the Kang’s year. She finished T-3 at the HSBC Women’s World Championship at Sentosa, Singapore, in early March, bolstered by a career-best 63 that was fuelled by a new putter she made alongside Scotty Cameron over the off-season. She followed that with a second-place finish at the Ladies European Tour Aramco Team Series event in Singapore.
The Singapore results was the third and fourth times Kang nearly entered the winner’s circle since returning to action last August following a break to recover from complications due to a spinal tumour. She also finished T-3 at the LPGA Mediheal Championship and lost in a playoff at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship to Atthaya Thitikul.
The WD might impact Kang’s chances of representing Team USA at the International Crown. The top four Americans in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings following next week’s DIO Implant event in Los Angeles will play at TPC Harding in early May. Currently, Kang is in the final of four spots for the team at 13th in the world rankings. Jennifer Kupcho is closest to overtaking Kang at 18th and she was tied for 95th after shooting 72 in the first round of the Drive On.
Kang finished her Instagram story sharing she doesn’t expect to be out for long.
“With some rest the next few days, hopefully the nausea will subside and will be back to playing some golf again,” she said.
