Report: Dustin Johnson targeting early May return

Dustin Johnson had to withdraw from The Masters, but he appears set to make a reasonably quick return.

Dustin Johnson entered Masters week as the betting favorite, but then he suffered a lower back injury after a fall at the home he was renting in Augusta for the week. He showed up Thursday morning to give it a try, but Johnson wound up withdrawing before teeing a ball on the first hole.

Once someone has the green jacket placed on their shoulders late Sunday afternoon, Johnson’s status going forward will become one of the biggest questions on the PGA Tour. He appears to have avoided a major injury, but back issues are at the very least unpredictable.

According to Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard, via Johnson’s agent David Winkle, the world’s No. 1 golfer is at home in Florida recovering from his back injury. As for when Johnson will attempt to return to PGA Tour action, the Wells Fargo Championship from May 4-7 is the target date. The event is traditionally at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, but since that course is hosting The PGA Championship this year the Wells Fargo will move to Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, North Carolina.

So Johnson will take three weeks off to get right physically, with the RBC Heritage, the Valero Texas Open and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on the tour schedule. If his return goes off without a hitch at the Wells Fargo Championship, Johnson will have some time to get back toward a high level of play in time to defend his U.S. Open title at Erin Hills in mid-June.

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Johnson had won each of his last three events coming into The Masters, which made him the easy favorite for odds makers in Las Vegas early in the week. Time off when playing well is a typically a negative, but even if he was fully healthy Johnson may not have played on tour much in the next few weeks post-Masters.