Hideki Matsuyama withdraws from Match Play Event with neck injury, Golf Twitter reacts

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Hideki Matsuyama withdrew from the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play event on Friday, citing a recurring neck injury. Despite splitting his opening two matches, he had to beat Max Homa on Friday to qualify for the knockout rounds. However, Homa advanced with a 3-0-0 record due to Matsuyama’s withdrawal.

Matsuyama explained in a statement that he felt stiffness in his neck while warming up on the range, which prevented him from taking a full swing. He also said that he chose to concede his match to Max as a precautionary measure and rest before participating in the Valero Texas Open next week.

Max Homa advances to the knockout rounds after Hideki Matsuyama withdrew from the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play event due to a recurring neck injury. Matsuyama’s decision to rest ahead of the Valero Texas Open is a precautionary measure to ensure he is ready for the upcoming Masters tournament.

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Former Masters Champion, Hideki Matsuyama, cites recurring injury as reason for withdrawal

Hideki Matsuyama has had to withdraw from events in the past due to his recurring neck injury, including last year’s Valero Texas Open, where he withdrew midway through his second round, less than a week before he was due to begin his Masters defense.

The withdrawal from the Match Play event is concerning for Matsuyama, especially with the upcoming Masters tournament where he secured his first major championship victory in 2021.

With Matsuyama’s withdrawal, Max Homa advances to the knockout rounds of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play event with an unbeaten record in the group stage. Homa has had a successful season, winning the Genesis Invitational in February and securing a top-10 finish at the Players Championship earlier this month.

Matsuyama’s neck injury couldn’t have come at a worse time as he was looking to gain momentum ahead of the Masters tournament. The Japanese golfer has been a model of consistency on the PGA Tour, boasting five victories and several top-10 finishes.

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