Tiger Woods was forced to withdraw from the final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship due to an Achilles injury.
The former world number one had a noticeable limp during Sunday's play and opted to pull out of the tournament after completing 11 holes at Doral.
Joint eighth overnight, Woods had carded bogeys on the sixth and seventh and then dropped another shot after hitting into water on the long 10th to leave himself at three over par for the day.
He did manage to save par from a bunker at the next but was seen wincing in pain as he struck his second shot at the par-five 12th. Rather than take any risks, the American abruptly called it quits.
Woods, who had reconstructive knee surgery in 2008 and was out of action again last summer because of further leg trouble, immediately left the course.
"I felt tightness in my left Achilles warming up this morning, and it continued to get progressively worse," he later said in a statement.
"After hitting my tee shot at 12, I decided it was necessary to withdraw. In the past, I may have tried to continue to play, but this time, I decided to do what I thought was necessary.
"I will get my Achilles evaluated some time early next week."
It's the third time in three years that Woods has withdrawn from a tournament. The most recent was at The Players Championship last May, when he hobbled off the TPC Sawgrass after a 40 on the back nine.
This latest setback will be a major concern with the Masters less than four weeks away - the 36-year-old is due to play his next PGA Tour event at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill starting on March 22.
Rory McIlroy, who held off Woods to win the Honda Classic last week in what many saw as a possible dress rehearsal for The Masters, hopes Woods will make it to Augusta.
"It's a shame because he looked like he was coming out this year, swinging it really well, playing good, getting himself into contention," said McIlroy, who finished third in Miami.
"It's probably just precautionary, but I really hope he's healthy for the Masters, because obviously it would be a great week with him there. He can spark an interest in golf that no one else can."
