Hideki Matsuyama withdraws from the Players with a back injury

Hideki Matsuyama (YouTube)

According to Mark Schlabach of ESPN on Thursday, reigning Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama of Matsuyama, Japan, has withdrawn from the 2022 Players Championship in Sawgrass, Florida, with a back injury. Ranked 11th in the world, Matsuyama is considered the best golfer from the continent of Asia at the moment.

Matsuyama had been considered a serious contender to win the most prestigious golf tournament of the year this weekend outside the four majors. That is because he had already won twice during the 2021-22 PGA Tour season. He initially won the 2021 Zozo Championship in his home country in Japan, and then won the 2022 Sony Open in Hawaii in January.

Matsuyama is one of two golfers to have won multiple times during the 2021-22 season. The other is Scottie Scheffler of Ridgewood, New Jersey. Scheffler won the Arnold Palmer Invitational from Orlando this past weekend, and the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February.

Due to Matsuyama’s injury, Patrick Rodgers of Avon, Indiana was added to the field. Rodgers has never won on the PGA Tour in the past. His best finish was a loss in a playoff to Charles Howell III of Augusta, Georgia on the second extra hole at the 2018 RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Georgia.

After 13 holes so far in round one on Thursday, Rodgers is at one-over-par and in a tie for 53rd place. The leader is England’s Tommy Fleetwood at -6. After 17 holes so far, Fleetwood has had seven birdies and one bogey. A major story in round one was the weather, as there was a long delay due to rain.

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