Dustin Johnson seemed to try everything to give The Masters a go despite his back injury, but walked off the first tee and won’t play at Augusta
All the stars seemed to be aligning for Dustin Johnson to have a big week at Augusta National this week. The Masters in 2017 appeared to be his for the taking. He had a win at the WGC-Dell Match Play Championships, two other wins, and a third-place finish as his most recent finishes. What’s more, he got the major-monkey off of his back at Oakmont last year by winning the U.S. Open.
Had Johnson ever been able to take the course, he might’ve well be on his way to a Green Jacket. Unfortunately for him and after a bizarre set of circumstances, though, he won’t take the course.
On Wednesday in the early evening, reports surfaced that Johnson had fallen down stairs and injured his back. Even then it was said that his status to play in The Masters on Thursday and this weekend was in question. However, he was still planning on gutting it out, which he most definitely did.
After going to the range and actually having things look promising for a bit, though, Johnson went to the first tee. At that point, the back injury was still too much of a factor it appears. Per Golf.com, Johnson walked off the box and will not be playing in the 2017 Masters:
BREAKING: World No. 1 Dustin Johnson walks off the first tee, won't play 2017 Masters. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/2sydyC4q8z
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) April 6, 2017
Given how hot he’s been and his status as the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world, this is obviously a crummy situation for golf fans. However, Golf.com also noted that it’s also a rare situation. This is only the second time that the World No. 1 has missed The Masters, Tiger Woods in 2014 being the other occurrence:
This is just the second time the game's top-ranked player will miss #TheMasters. (Tiger '14)
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) April 6, 2017
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Surely more details about the fall and situation will come out after Dustin Johnson’s decision to not play—in dramatic fashion walking off the first tee, no less. However, this has to go down as one of the stranger situations in golf in recent memory. Either way, it’s tough for both Johnson and fans to not be able to have him out on the course this week.