Patrick Reed’s hopes of qualifying for the U.S. Ryder Cup team took a hit Thursday when he withdrew before the start of The Northern Trust because of an ankle injury.

It’s the second consecutive week in which Reed pulled out of an event before the opening tee shot. He was not replaced in the field, so the first playoff event continued with 124 players.

Last week at the Wyndham Championship, where he was a past champion, there was no reason given for Reed’s withdrawal. He won at Liberty National when The Northern Trust was last held there in 2019.

It’s unfortunate timing for Captain America, with the Ryder Cup qualifying deadline looming. The top-6 cutoff is after next week’s BMW Championship, and Reed is currently ninth in the standings. Any lingering effects from Reed’s injury could impact captain Steve Stricker’s wildcard choices as well.

A winner at Torrey Pines earlier this year, Reed has played a typically busy schedule this summer, but he doesn’t have a finish better than 19th in his past seven starts.

Reed began the playoffs at No. 22 in the FedExCup standings. With his opening WD, he is currently projected to drop to 27th.