Valero Texas Open 2024: Shock Withdrawals Hit the PGA Tour Yet Again Just Days Before Masters

It seems Jay Monahan and his PGA Tour can’t seem to catch a break. Earlier, it was the unfavorable weather conditions that played the villain for the Tour. However, now it has made way for another, none other than player WDs. Well, the Valero Texas Open doesn’t seem to be faring any differently either owing to some players suddenly pulling out.

Interestingly, the event at TPC San Antonio saw an exciting first round come to a close as Akshay Bhatia took the lead on the scoreboard. But, despite the excitement of the day’s play, a total of three PGA Tour Pros taking part in the tournament went ahead and withdrew from it.

Another setback for the PGA Tour at the Valero Texas Open

A series of announcements were made by the Monahan-led circuit on X (formerly known as Twitter) soon after the first round of the Valero Texas Open ended. Intriguingly, as per the tweets, Patrick Rodgers, Trace Crowe, and Taylor Montgomery pulled out from the final stop in Texas owing to various causes.

Meanwhile, the X handle also stated the reason for Rodgers and Crowe’s WDs, with the former doing the same due to personal reasons while the latter being forced to do so due to a knee injury. However, surprisingly, the circuit did not mention any specific reason behind Montgomery’s exit from the Valero Texas Open.

Well, they aren’t the first set of professionals to pull out from the field. Unfortunately, they became three of the total eight athletes to withdraw from the ongoing tournament at TPC San Antonio, including the likes of Hideki Matsuyama, Stephan Jaeger, Matt Wallace, Scott Stallings, and Thomas Detry.

Anyhow, it sure does paint a bleak picture for both the men’s circuit and the PGA Tour Pros. What’s more, it truly makes one wonder as to why some of these golfers decided to pull out of the Tour’s final stop in Texas.

Stephan Jaeger’s win paves the way for a break before the Masters

Jaeger managed to clinch his first win on the circuit at the Texas Children’s Houston Open with a figure of 12-under 268, following which he withdrew from the next event. Interestingly enough, although the reason wasn’t provided by the PGA Tour, it is assumed that the victory helped him take a small break before the Masters Tournament since, through the win, he became part of the field.

ALSO READ: ‘He’s Exhausting’: Jordan Spieth Raises Fans’ Heart Rate With Crazy Hole-in-One at Valero Texas Open

However, the same cannot be said about Matsuyama. Unfortunately, the golfer was already suffering from neck and back pain before the start of the tournament, a concern that started at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. But now, it appears he is also dealing with pain in his left wrist, thumb, and knee, as per reports leading to him pulling out of the Valero Texas Open. It appears the trend of misfortune won’t leave the circuit anytime soon. Sadly, the PGA Tour is in for some rough times ahead.

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