This column will provide any field updates, injury news, and other player notes in the days leading up to the John Deere Classic.

• Field Changes (+): Lanto Griffin added to field as a late entry over the weekend.

• Field Changes (-): Brandon Wu withdrew over the weekend.

• Field Changes (-): C.T. Pan withdrew over the weekend.

• Field Changes (+): Derek Ernst replaced Pan in the field over the weekend.

• Field Changes (-): Vincent Norrman withdrew over the weekend.

• Field Changes (+): Derek Lamely replaced Norrman in the field over the weekend.

• Field Changes (-): Charley Hoffman withdrew over the weekend.

• Field Changes (+): Greg Chalmers replaced Hoffman in the field over the weekend.

• Monday Qualifiers (+): Reid Martin, Yuto Katsuragawa, Anders Larson, and Kaito Onishi open qualified into the field on Monday.

• Field Changes (-): Luke List withdrew on Tuesday.

• Field Changes (+): Scott Brown replaced List in the field on Tuesday.

• Field Changes (-): Brian Gay withdrew on Wednesday.

• Field Changes (+): Tommy Gainey replaced Gay in the field on Wednesday.

• Field Changes (-): Justin Lower withdrew on Wednesday night.

• Field Changes (+): Arjun Atwal replaced Lower in the field on Wednesday night.

INJURY REPORT (as of 11pm ET, 7/5):

Kevin Yu (knee) -- IN

Yu returned two weeks ago at the Travelers Championship where he finished T49. This was Yu's first start on the PGA Tour since undergoing surgery on February 20th for a torn meniscus. He then played last week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic but missed the cut.

Prior to the surgery, the rookie was having an excellent first season on the PGA Tour with seven made cuts in 10 starts, one top-5 finish, and two top-10 finishes. In his last start before the injury, Yu finished T7 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Luke List (foot) -- OUT

List withdrew from the John Deere Classic on Tuesday (7/4).

List withdrew prior to his second-round tee time at the Rocket Mortgage Classic (June 30th) due to a foot injury. There have been no significant updates on List's injury since the WD at Detroit Golf Club.

According to Ron Klos (@PGASplits101 on Twitter), List was limping "very badly" after he WD'd from the Rocket Mortgage last Friday.

Brandt Snedeker (chest/sternum) -- IN

Snedeker returned at the Memorial Tournament (June 1st-4th) and finished T41 after missing more than nine months due to a chest injury. He also played the following week at the RBC Canadian Open (June 8th-11th) but missed the cut after shooting 79-76. Snedeker missed the cut again this past week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Snedeker underwent a rare sternum procedure called a Manubrium Joint Stabilization last December and started hitting balls again on April 1st.

He has one start remaining on a minor medical extension and needs to earn 15.853 points to meet the threshold for conditional status on the PGA Tour (129.441 points needed to meet the full terms of the minor medical).

Scott Piercy (back) -- IN

Piercy withdrew from the Rocket Mortgage Classic last Wednesday (June 28th) due to a back injury. He also withdrew prior to the start of the second round at the Travelers Championship on June 23rd due to this same injury.

Piercy is currently listed in the field for the John Deere Classic though his health status will be worth monitoring in the days leading up to the start of the event on Thursday.

Brendon Todd (shoulder) -- IN

Todd withdrew during the second round of the Memorial Tournament on June 2nd due to a shoulder injury.

He returned the next week at the RBC Canadian Open (June 11th-14th) where he finished T34. Despite playing well, Todd noted after R2 at the Canadian Open that he was managing the pain with pain meds and physical therapy and also experiencing some pain with each shot he hit.

Todd missed the cut at the Travelers Championship (June 22nd-25th) after shooting 65-73 in the opening two rounds. He then finished T56 this past week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

This injury does not appear to be too serious for Todd who has continued to play through whatever shoulder issue caused him to pull out of the Memorial Tournament in early June. Nonetheless, it'll be worth keeping an eye on Todd's status in the days leading up to the start of the John Deere Classic on Thursday.

Dylan Frittelli (illness) -- IN

Frittelli returned at last week's Rocket Mortgage Classic though missed the cut after shooting 72-71 in the opening two rounds. This was Frittelli's first start since withdrawing during the first round of the Memorial Tournament on June 1st due to an undisclosed illness. Frittelli also withdrew from the RBC Canadian Open and Travelers Championship in June.

He's currently slated to tee it up once again this week at the John Deere Classic. Frittelli has not made the cut in a non-team stroke play event since The Honda Classic back in February.

David Lingmerth (back) -- IN

Lingmerth withdrew during the second round of the RBC Canadian due to a back injury on June 9th. He returned at last week's Travelers Championship but missed the cut after shooting 71-68. He also missed the cut this past week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Lingmerth is currently slated to tee it up this week at the John Deere Classic.

Brian Gay (back) -- OUT

Gay withdrew from the John Deere Classic on Wednesday due to a back injury. This injury also caused Gay to withdraw from last week's U.S. Senior Open. The 51-year-old has split starts between the PGA Tour and Champions Tour this season. Gay has produced mixed results on both tours.

C.T. Pan (neck) -- OUT

Pan withdrew from the Rocket Mortgage Classic last Thursday due to a neck injury. This seems to be a new ailment for Pan who returned from a significant wrist injury in April that sidelined him for about five months this season.

Pan was initially listed in the field for the John Deere Classic but pulled out of the event over the weekend, suggesting the neck issue has not yet healed enough to compete.

Webb Simpson (illness) -- OUT

Simpson withdrew prior to his opening round tee time at the RBC Canadian Open on June 8th due to illness. He returned at the Travelers Championship (June 22nd-25th) where he finished T52. Simpson also competed this past week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic but missed the cut.

Initially listed in the field for the John Deere Classic, Simpson decided to pull out of the event over the weekend for an undisclosed reason.

Mackenzie Hughes (illness) -- OUT

Hughes is not in the field for this week's John Deere Classic.

The Canadian golfer withdrew from the Travelers Championship after the first round on June 22nd due to illness. According to a post on Hughes' Twitter account, he was dealing with kidney stones that had yet to pass. Hughes was never listed in the field for the Rocket Mortgage Classic or the JDC.

Hughes' next opportunity to return will come at next week's Genesis Scottish Open.

Aaron Wise (undisclosed) -- OUT

Wise has not competed on the PGA Tour since missing the cut at the U.S. Open on June 18th. He was initially listed in the field for the Travelers Championship but pulled out of that event.

Wise missed part of the season in April and May as he decided to focus on his mental health before returning to the PGA Tour. This could explain Wise's limited schedule at the moment, though no official updates have been made on Wise's status.

Kevin Kisner (illness) -- OUT

Kisner is not in the field for this week's John Deere Classic.

He withdrew from the Travelers Championship during round one on June 22nd due to an undisclosed illness. He was seven strokes over par through nine holes at TPC River Highlands at the time of the WD. The 39-year-old has now either missed the cut or withdrawn in each of his last seven starts in stroke play events on the PGA Tour.

Kisner was originally committed to play in the Rocket Mortgage Classic but then was not listed in the announced field last Friday. When asked on Twitter about why he chose not to tee it up at Detroit GC, Kisner replied "BC I suck right now."

Tiger Woods (ankle, foot) -- OUT

Woods announced on April 19th that he underwent a subtalar fusion procedure to address his post-traumatic arthritis from a previous talus fracture. He is currently recovering and looks forward to beginning his rehabilitation.

The 15-time major champion withdrew in his most recent start at The Masters, citing a reaggravation of his plantar fasciitis after being seen walking with a noticeably worse limp during the third round. In February, Woods expressed his goal to play in all of the major championships this year. However, given this news of another ankle surgery and upcoming rehab, expectations should be tempered for Woods' chances at playing in the next three majors.

May 22nd update: Woods officially withdrew from the U.S. Open on May 22nd, and there's currently no official timetable for his return.

Will Zalatoris (back) -- OUT FOR SEASON

Zalatoris announced on his Instagram account on April 10th that he underwent successful surgery on his back and will now miss the rest of the season.

Zalatoris withdrew just prior to his first-round tee time at The Masters. As it turns out, Zalatoris was dealing with the same back issues (herniated discs) that caused him to be out for the last four months of 2022. Zalatoris has had a very promising start to his career, winning his first PGA Tour event last summer at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, but will now miss at least another five months following a microdiscectomy.

I've seen some confusion out there–this is the first time Zalatoris had back surgery. He did NOT have surgery in 2022 for this issue.

May 22nd update: Zalatoris announced on the ESPN broadcast during last week's PGA Championship that he feels pain-free for the first time in two years following back surgery. He's targeting a September return to the PGA Tour.

Daniel Berger (back) -- OUT

Berger remains sidelined from a back injury that has kept him out since the 2022 U.S. Open. The most recent update suggested he could return sometime in May but that is looking less likely as the month comes to an end. Berger tried to play through this injury last season but said “that was definitely not the answer.” Instead, Berger has opted to take a more patient approach in his recovery.

MAY 2ND UPDATE:

This article from AP News provides background and insight into the back injury Berger has been dealing with for the past year. In the article, Berger notes that it's not a career-ending injury but knows it'll be a challenge to get back to where he was as a top player in the world.

Berger has been posting clips on his Instagram account of him swinging a golf club, suggesting that his return could come soon though there is no official date or tournament that he's committed to yet.

JUNE 6TH UPDATE:

Berger was originally slated to compete in one of the U.S. Open final qualifiers on Monday (June 5th) as he was given a tee time for the qualifier in Boynton Beach, Florida but withdrew a couple of days prior.

Hayden Buckley (chest/rib) -- OUT

Buckley suffered a torn muscle in his chest and rib area which forced him to withdraw from the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Monday.

According to a Twitter post from Buckley, he met with a team of doctors who diagnosed pain in his rib area as a torn muscle. Buckley's recovery time is uncertain, and so it's currently unclear when he might return to the PGA Tour.

The 27-year-old reached as high as 71st in the Official World Golf Rankings this season, thanks in part to three top-5 finishes. However, Buckley missed the cut in each of his last four starts, which could potentially make more sense if he was attempting to play through injury. It will be important to keep an eye on updates on Buckley's health status in the coming weeks.

Maverick McNealy (left shoulder) -- OUT

McNealy announced in an Instagram post last Wednesday (June 21st) that he would be out for the next few months due to a torn left anterior sternoclavicular ligament. He's hopeful to return to the PGA Tour sometime in the Fall.

McNealy first suffered this injury back at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, which caused him to miss about a month of the season. At the beginning of June, at the RBC Canadian Open, the injury worsened and McNealy decided to properly address the nagging ailment by taking time off.

According to McNealy's social media post, the injury won't require surgery. Instead, McNealy plans to focus on physical therapy, biomechanics analysis, golf swing chances, and regenerative stem-cell treatments in order to treat the injury. Though not confirmed, it appears McNealy will likely miss the remainder of the 2022-23 PGA Tour season as he looks to return once fully healthy at some point in the Fall portion of next season's schedule.

Jhonattan Vegas (elbow) -- OUT

Vegas announced on his personal Twitter account on April 27th that he suffered an elbow injury related to the one that plagued him last year. He underwent surgery in April of 2022, and then later in the year Vegas opted to take the entire Fall portion of the PGA Tour schedule off due to this recurrent injury.

The 38-year-old has not played in a PGA Tour event since the Valspar Championship last month. Vegas said the recovery is taking longer than he expected but is working hard to return as soon as possible.

Erik Barnes (knee) -- OUT

Barnes underwent knee surgery on April 3rd and is without a timetable for his return to the PGA Tour.

The 35-year-old rookie posted on Twitter that he was having reconstructive surgery on his MPFL and a repair of his MCL. Barnes said he's battled knee subluxation issues for the last couple of years which have worsened over the past few weeks. According to Barnes' social media post, the surgery was successful but he expects a long road in his recovery and eventual return to the PGA Tour.

John Huh (elbow tendinitis) -- OUT

Huh has yet to play in an event in 2023 due to elbow tendinitis. His last start came at The RSM Classic (November 20th, 2022).

Philip Knowles (hand) -- OUT

Knowles announced on his Instagram account on May 1st that he severed a nerve in his thumb on February 1st, underwent surgery on February 24th, and started swinging a golf club again on April 14th.

He noted that (as of May 1st) he's nearly back to full function but "range of motion is limited due to scar tissue" and "lack of sensation in the outside part of my thumb."

Knowles made a rehab start on the Korn Ferry Tour on June 25th at the Compliance Solutions Championship but missed the cut.

Other Player News:

Justin Lower (undisclosed) -- OUT

Lower withdrew from the John Deere Classic on Wednesday night.

At this moment, it's unclear why Lower decided to WD from the event. He finished T8 at last week's Rocket Mortgage Classic and was hoping to continue that good form into this week at TPC Deere Run. Lower's next opportunity to tee it up on the PGA Tour will come next week at the Barbasol Championship. It will be important to monitor Lower's status until then.

Patrick Rodgers -- IN

Rodgers is expected to return to action this week at the John Deere Classic after pulling out of the Rocket Mortgage a few days before the start of the event.

He's made the cut in his last five trips to TPC Deere Run, which includes a runner-up finish in 2017. Rodgers finished T30 at last year's JDC.

Taylor Montgomery -- IN

Montgomery is expected to tee it up for the first time since missing the cut at the U.S. Open (June 18th). There's been no news on why Montgomery decided not to play in the Travelers Championship or Rocket Mortgage Classic the past two weeks.

This will be Montgomery's first start at TPC Deere Run.

Lucas Glover -- IN

Lucas Glover enters this week's John Deere Classic coming off a T4 finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. As Rick Gehman (@RickRunGood) noted on Twitter over the weekend, Glover gained over 5 strokes putting at Detroit Golf Club while using a fairly new broomstick style putter.

Now Glover heads to TPC Deere Run where he won in 2021 and finished T10 in 2019.

Peter Kuest -- IN

Kuest earned a spot in this week's field via his top-10 finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic (which he got into through Monday Qualifying).

He can earn special temporary membership for the remainder of the PGA Tour season if he makes the cut and finished in a two-way tie for 76th place or better at the John Deere classic.

Zac Blair -- IN

Blair needs 25.482 more points to meet the threshold for his major medical extension. He has six starts remaining to earn those points and retain his PGA Tour card.

Blair finished T2 at the Travelers Championship two weeks ago but then missed the cut at last week's Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Gordon Sargent -- IN

Sargent is competing in this week's John Deere Classic on a sponsor exemption. He's four points away from earning his PGA Tour card through PGA Tour University Accelerated. Sargent will earn one point if he makes the cut at this week's JDC and another point if he finishes in the top 10.

Sargent will earn two additional points in the Fall for competing in the Walker Cup at St. Andrews.

LIV Golf Player News (LIV London, 7/7-7/9):

Martin Kaymer (wrist) -- IN

Kaymer withdrew from the PGA Championship on May 12th. After undergoing wrist surgery last November, Kaymer did not yet feel like he was ready to compete for 3 weeks in a row.

"I don't think I will be able to play 3 weeks in a row after the [offseason wrist] surgery...I'm playing good. It's just a matter of I would like to go there with the mindset of I can actually win the golf tournament. I don't have that yet. I have not been practicing at all for the last six months. I've only been putting and chipping and I only hit golf shots during the tournament. So that is not enough to beat the best player in the world."

Kaymer returned at the LIV Washington DC event (May 26th-28th) and finished 25th. He finished 36th this past week at LIV Andaluciá .

Matthew Wolff (undisclosed) -- IN

Wolff withdrew prior to the third round of LIV Washington DC on May 28th with an undisclosed injury. (He also withdrew prior to his U.S. Open final qualifier tee time on June 5th.) He returned this past week at LIV Andaluciá and finished in 44th place.

Following LIV DC, rumors were swirling about Wolff's status in the league. He was removed from certain aspects of his team's social media pages, suggesting that he could be seeking a trade to another LIV team. That said, Wolff did reappear in Smash GC's social media posts in the days leading up to LIV Andaluciá.

Paul Casey (knee, toe) -- IN

Casey returned this past week at LIV Andaluciá and finished 21st.

He withdrew from the PGA Championship on May 16th due to toe and knee injuries. Casey ended up missing the LIV Washington DC event the following week (May 26-28th), which gave him more than a month to rest and recover from his injuries.

Lee Westwood (knee) -- IN

Westwood withdrew prior to the final round of LIV Tulsa on May 14th due to a medial ligament strain that occurred while running on a treadmill. He returned at LIV DC (May 26th-28th) and finished 36th. Westwood finished 28th this past week at LIV Andaluciá.

Hudson Swafford (hip) -- OUT

Swafford underwent surgery on February 20th with the expectation that he would miss 4-6 months.

Sam Horsfield (hip) -- OUT

Horsfield underwent surgery on May 10th and is expected to miss "a few months" according to a post on his Twitter account.