Who would have thought the winner of the St. Jude Championship would have to leave the course early in the next playoff? Yes, you read that right. While the race for the PGA Tour champion continues at the BMW Championship, there have been some shocking updates, and this time it’s about Hideki Matsuyama withdrawing.

The pro finished his first round with a total of 67, however now he is unable to continue further. The update came on X stating that “Hideki Matsuyama has just withdrawn from the @BMWchamps. A shame to see last week’s winner end his tournament like this.” It was the lower back pain that unfortunately forced him to withdraw. However, Matsuyama will be able to join the field in East Lake and compete for the $25 million if his back will allow.

Matsuyama was off to a good start as he won the Genesis Invitational; however, not long after, things got worse for him. During the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Matsuyama mentioned that there were some issues with his back, saying, “My back was not feeling perfect.” Not only that, he even missed out on Pro-Am of the aforementioned event. In May, during the Wells Fargo Championship, the golfer’s back injury came back to haunt him again.

He said, “I suffered tightness in my back this morning during training, and it never loosened up enough to start the first round.” Things got worse, and he left the course early. Speaking of unfortunate fate, Hideki Matsuyama even withdrew from the 2023 BMW Championship, and this time it happened again. Although it’s not confirmed that it’s the same back issue he had during the Wells Fargo or the Arnold Palmer Invitational, it’s now becoming a matter of significant concern for him.

It is indeed sad to see the Japanese pro leave the course like this but there is more. Scottie Scheffler also seems to have a back pain. It happened during the first round of the BMW Championship as he went on to hit the second last hole, he bent over and grabbed his lower back with his left arm. Despite the struggle, Scheffler said “I’m sure I’ll get some ice on it and stuff and I’ll be totally fine tomorrow,” and is currently playing. As for Matsuyama, this Playoff season was already rough for him from the start.

Hideki Matsuyama became a victim of robbery

After claiming bronze at the Paris Olympics, Matsuyama was going back to the United States for the FedEx Cup. However, before that, he had a day’s layover in downtown London. In London, while having lunch, his coach Mikihito Kuromiya, caddie Shota Hayato, and the golfer himself realized that their bags were missing.

Luckily, Matsuyama had left his passport in the hotel, and only his wallet was stolen. As for his caddie and coach, they both lost their passports and hence had to return to Japan. At the St. Jude Championship, the golfer talked about it and said, “It was an unfortunate situation. Luckily, I only lost my wallet, but Shota, my caddie, and the coach lost their passports, and we’re trying hard now to get their visas back in line, and hopefully, we can join us as a team as soon as possible.”

Although he made it to the TPC South Wind in time and even won the first tournament, the unfortunate fate of Hideki Matsuyama struck again and forced him to leave the tournament early. What are your thoughts on the matter? Feel free to share them in the comments below!