CROMWELL, Conn. -- In an unexpected turn of events, Jordan Spieth was forced to withdraw from the Travelers Championship after just 13 holes on Thursday due to severe tightness in his shoulder blade. This marked the first withdrawal in his 297 career starts on the PGA Tour.

Spieth, who had been experiencing discomfort, mentioned that the injury seemed to appear out of nowhere, possibly from sleeping in an awkward position. He first noticed the pain during his warm-up on the range and had his physical trainer work on him before teeing off. However, the pain persisted and worsened as the round progressed.

'I've never withdrawn from an event ever anywhere at any level, so I didn't really know what to do. It just became too much,' Spieth said. 'I didn't see it turning around until probably Saturday. These things kind of last an extra day, and no matter what I was going to do, it was just going to be ... I don't know, it's unfortunate.'

At the time of his withdrawal, Spieth was 5 over for his round with no birdies. He informed his playing partner, Luke Clanton, that he could not continue and was taken off the course in a cart.

The timing of the injury is particularly unfortunate for Spieth, who had recently moved back into the top 50 in the world rankings and the top 40 of the FedEx Cup. Despite a late start to the season due to surgery on his left wrist last August, Spieth had been performing well, tying for 23rd in the U.S. Open and finishing seventh at the Memorial.

Spieth's wife is due to give birth to their third child in a few weeks, and there were no plans to add a tournament before the Open Championship. This injury adds another layer of complexity to his season.

'It's a weird situation with an elevated event and no cut and important points,' he said. 'It's like, 'Well, what's the downside if I can finish, even if it's ugly?' And then I hit my tee shot on 13, and it legitimately really hurt.'

Spieth's withdrawal is a significant blow to the Travelers Championship, as he is one of the sport's most popular and accomplished players. Fans and fellow players alike will be hoping for a swift recovery as the season progresses.