Matsuyama sat in contention at the BMW Championship but withdrew before the second round. Will this affect his FedEx Cup future?
Hideki Matsuyama fired an impressive 5-under 67 on Thursday at the BMW Championship, but now he is no longer in the field.
He sat tied for second after his 67 and was in contention for the second FedEx Cup playoff event after he won last week at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
The Paris Olympics bronze medalist withdrew on Friday because of a lower back injury, which forced Collin Morikawa to play alone for the second 18 holes.
He entered this week's contest as No. 3 in the FedEx Cup standings.
Hideki Matsuyama is a WD prior to the second round of the BMW Championship with a lower back injury.
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) August 23, 2024
“I have been healthy. I don’t know if that has anything to do with the results,” Matsuyama said Saturday, Aug. 17, at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Not a week later, the former Masters winner had to withdraw from a tournament.
Did the extended weather delay on Thursday evening cause issues for him? Matsuyama has dealt with back injuries before, so that time period could have caused something to happen since his body did not stay loose.
With his withdrawal, Matsuyama earns zero FedEx Cup points for the week.
Matsuyama’s future in the playoffs is secure since he is so high in the rankings. If he can play next week, he will have a spot in the Tour Championship field. Whether the 10-time PGA Tour winner will stay No. 3 is still in the air.
His departure from this event could help someone acquire enough points to get inside the Top 30. Everyone moves up a spot on the leaderboard, which could mean someone might get lucky in his unfortunate circumstances.
If he cannot play next week in Atlanta, the PGA Tour will not replace him in the field. Instead, Matsuyama will finish No. 30 in the FedEx Cup standings, and 29 players will compete.
This news could also spell trouble for the Presidents Cup International Team. Matsuyama is the top player in their rankings, and losing him would be brutal for Mike Weir and his squad.
Hopefully, the 2024 Genesis Invitational winner can play in Atlanta for the playoff finale, and all will be well for the rest of the year.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.
