- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
World No. 1 Jason Day’s place in the lucrative season-ending Tour Championship is in doubt after he withdrew with a back injury from the BMW Championship won by Dustin Johnson.
Day tweaked his lower back when he bent down to put a tee in the ground on the ninth hole and decided to pull out of the event rather than risk further damage.
Already well back off the lead, he now has a serious challenger for his place at the top of the world rankings as world No.2 Johnson powered home to win at Crooked Stick Golf Club by three shots.
Johnson shot a final round five-under 67 to surge to 23 under for the tournament, winning for the third time this year to go with his US Open and WGC Bridgestone Invitational triumph.
England’s Paul Casey finished runner-up for the second week running, closing with a 67 of his own to be 20 under, with American Roberto Castro (67) playing his way into the season finale by finishing third at 17 under.
The results puts the American closer to Day in the world rankings ahead of the season ending Tour Championship, and sends him to the top of the season long FedExCup points list.
Defending event champion Day has a history of back issues, withdrawing from the BMW Championship in 2014 with a similar complaint.
He also battled a bad back at the 2015 Barclays and 2016 World Golf Championships Match Play with the same issue before fighting through the pain and winning.
His place in Atlanta in two weeks is now in doubt where the winner of the season long FedExCup will claim a $US10million bonus.
“He’s all right, he’s just got some back issues and is in a little bit of pain. He’s getting treatment right now. I don’t think it’s anything that he hasn’t dealt with before,” Day’s manager Bud Martin said.
“The trainer is maybe thinking it’s the same type of thing that he dealt with I think at the Barclays and last year where he picked something up in his bus and it kind of got out of line.
“But just better safe than sorry. Instead of forcing it, we just decided that it was more prudent to kind of come in, get it worked on, and deal with it.”
Day dropped from second to fourth in the FedExCup standings which is of minimal consequence as those in the top five can guarantee the FedExCup with a win in the TOUR Championship.
“We’ll probably get a MRI just to double check. My gut is that he’ll be fine,” Martin said.
“Hopefully, he’ll be ready for Atlanta, but the most important thing is the next 15 years, not the next 15 days.”
Meanwhile Adam Scott finished fourth for the third straight playoff event.
A final round 71 left him 12 under, 11 shots off the win.
He is now third in the season-long points list, giving him a chance to win it all in two weeks time.
“Hopefully I’m saving my best for last, that would be a great way to finish the year,” Scott said.
“And starting in third, that would mean I would win the FedExCup.
So that’s an exciting spot for me to be in and hopefully I can take advantage of it.”
Marc Leishman (-1) and Aaron Baddeley (+4) have ended their seasons.
What’s your best bet? For great odds on all your favourite sports check out PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.