Fellow Australian Adam Scott sounded hopeful some six weeks rest would see World No. 1 Jason Day be fit later this year to join Scott teeing-up in the Emirates Australian Open and then team to defend the World Cup of Golf in Melbourne.
Day’s injury-plagued PGA Tour season ended on a disappointing note after just seven full holes on day two of the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta.
The same lower back complaint had forced Day from the Crooked Stick course after eight holes on the final day of last fortnight’s BMW Championship in suburban Indianapolis.
Day had been even par in suburban Atlanta before hitting his drive on the eighth into the water. He took a drop and had yet to find the green with his fourth shot.
Jason Day bends over on the second tee and just ahead of withdrawing from the season-ending Tour Championship. (Photo Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)
The Queenslander strode onto the green to inform playing partner, Si Woo Kim, he couldn’t continue ahead of boarding a golf cart and headed to the parking lot.
The disappointed Day did not stop to speak to reporters before leaving the course though his management team later issued a statement.
“Jason has a strained ligament in his lower right back with muscle spasm,” said manager, Bub Martin.
“He withdrew as a precautionary measure. Jason should be fine with some rest after a long break in the off-season.”
Day acknowledged he wasn’t 100 percent after shooting the first-round 67. He said there were several times when he felt a sharp pain when hitting his driver.
“When I get to the top of the swing, as soon as my hips start to unfold and then there’s that little bit of separation, it just crunches down,” Day said on Thursday.
“It just hurts.”
Scott was somewhat also hurting adding a one over par 71 and dropping back into a share of 11th place on level par.
And while being full of sympathy for Day, Scott felt a long rest period ahead of Day could prove beneficial ahead of teeing-up in the World Cup of Golf in Melbourne before heading to Sydney for the Emirates Australian Open.
“It’s not what you want to be happening in your career and it’s clear that there is something going in Jason’s back and that’s why he’s treating it with caution,” said Scott.
“The thing is that a back issue can be serious and it’s not good for him or for any golfer if you have back problems.
“Hopefully, Jason gets on top of it quick.
“The good thing is that he’s got some time off now from the Tour so that should go a long way to helping cure whatever maybe wrong with his back.
“But it also just shows that if you play a punishing schedule and if you are carrying any sort of injury through the season, it’s very difficult.
“Jason’s had a great year but it must be very serious but as I said, he’s now got a good rest period ahead of him with five or six weeks off so hopefully he will be okay for the tournaments later in the year.
“Though in saying that, it’s his judgement and he’s the only one who knows how his back feels as it can’t be that great.”
