Hideki Matsuyama has been forced to WD from the BMW Championship due to a lower back injury, despite being in contention for a second consecutive title on the PGA Tour.
Hideki Matsuyama is out of the BMW Championship
Hideki Matsuyama has been forced to withdraw due to a lower back injury before the start of his second round at the BMW Championship.
Matsuyama, 32, came into this week’s tournament off the back of landing a 10th PGA Tour title at the FedEx St Jude Championship.
That win also came just days before he and members of his team were robbed in London.
Matsuyama had his wallet stolen and his caddie and coach had their passports taken, which meant the 2021 Masters champion had to use Ryo Hisatsune’s caddie at TPC Southwind.
He was also very much in position to win this week’s BMW Championship – the second event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs – after opening with a solid 5-under 67 at Castles Pines GC in Colorado.
Matsuyama was just one shot behind 18-hole leader Keegan Bradley at the time of his WD.
But Matsuyama’s name officially went down as a withdrawal just 30 minutes before the start of his second round tee time with Collin Morikawa at 11.10am local time.
The PGA Tour Communications team confirmed Matsuyama’s official reason for his WD was a due to a lower back injury.
Morikawa will now head out for the second round on his own.
Hideki Matsuyama is a WD prior to the second round of the BMW Championship with a lower back injury.
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) August 23, 2024
Despite Matsuyama’s WD, his spot in next week’s Tour Championship, which decides the FedEx Cup, is completely safe.
That is providing his back is feeling good enough to peg it up at East Lake.
He will still have a good chance to win his first career FedEx Cup.
Matsuyama also withdrew from last year’s BMW Championship after the first round, too.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler was also experiencing a tight back in the first round.
But despite wincing quite badly on the 17th hole, Scheffler told the media on Thursday night that he will be ‘totally fine’ to continue this week
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