Hideki Matsuyama has withdrawn from the BMW Championship ahead of Friday’s second round, citing a lower back injury.
The former Masters champion opened the second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs with a strong five-under 67 at Castle Pines, building on the momentum of his victory last week at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. While he could not overtake Scottie Scheffler for the No. 1 spot in the FedEx Cup standings this week, a win would have certainly helped closed the gap between the two considerably.
Matsuyama could have at least jumped over Xander Schauffele with a win, giving him the second spot, which would allow him to start just two off Scheffler’s “starting strokes” lead next week at the Tour Championship.
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Instead, Matsuyama will receive zero points for his efforts in Colorado, stunning the golf world—mostly the gambling community—with his pre-second round withdrawal. Then again, for those paying attention, it’s hardly that stunning. Matsuyama’s injury history has always been a mysterious one. One week he’s withdrawing from an event, the next week he’s winning one. He is as unpredictable of a tour pro as they come.
The good news is as of now, Matsuyama is still holding firm in the No. 3 spot of the FedEx Cup standings based off the projected points. That could change depending on who winds up winning on Sunday. Should it be Adam Scott, the current leader, Matsuyama would begin next week at East Lake in third place, three shots back of Scheffler. Should anyone between spots No. 4 and spots No. 10 win this week—a group that includes Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark, among others—then Matsuyama would fall back a position.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
