Las Vegas golfer announces break from LPGA Tour

Danielle Kang is taking an extended break from the LPGA Tour as she deals with a serious back issue, the golfer announced on Twitter.

The Las Vegas-based golfer will miss the next four tournaments on the schedule, including the next major championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, of which she is a past champion.

Kang had withdrawn from two tournaments earlier this spring before playing the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play at Shadow Creek and the U.S. Women’s Open, both of which she completed despite being in visible pain. Kang revealed after the second round of the Open that she is dealing with a tumor on her spine and has been seeing specialists.

She will skip this week’s ShopRite LPGA Classic, as well as the upcoming Meijer LPGA Classic and Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, as well as the KPMG.

“As a past champion, this was not an easy decision,” Kang wrote. “However, if I’ve learned anything from throwing a fit to play the U.S. Open, I want to compete, not just participate.”

Kang acknowledged the support she has received from fans during this period.

“I will be taking some more time to get back to 100 percent and till then, thank you for all the kind messages and support,” she wrote.

Kang is currently ranked 12th in the world and is the third-ranked American player.

Greg Robertson covers golf for the Review-Journal. He can be reached at grobertson@reviewjournal.com.