GOLF
Why has Matsuyama withdrawn from the 2024 BMW Championship?
The Japanese golfer, winner of the 2021 Masters tournament, bows out of the event for the second year running.
Hideki Matsuyama has withdrawn from the 2024 BMW Championship on the second day due to physical problems. The 32-year-old shot 5-under 67 in Thursday’s first round at Castle Pines Golf Club. He was forced to wait over three hours during a suspension of play to hit his second shot at the 18th yesterday, then missed his putt to finish the day one stroke off the lead.
More back issues for Matsuyama
Matsuyama, who was scheduled to go off with playing partner Tom Hoge at 2 p.m., bows out with an injury affecting his lower back. It’s the latest in a line of fitness issues that the Japanese player has endured over the last couple of years. He has suffered recurring problems with his neck and back for some time, playing most of lat year in various levels of pain.
He withdrew from last year’s BMW Championship with the same problem while warming up for the second round, and also the Wells Fargo Championship back in May this year.
Despite missing out on in Colorado, Matsuyama’s PGA Tour campaign is not necessarily over. He has qualified for the TOUR Championship in Georgia, occupying third place in the FedEx Cup standings. His involvement will depend on who quickly he is able to recover from his current back issues. The TOUR Championship gets underway on 29 August.