Golf: Jason Day withdraws from final round of CJ Cup with neck injury just weeks out from the Masters

Jason Day was going to play every event before the Masters but suffered a neck injury that forced him out of the final day of event No 1.

Jason Day bumps fists with Xander Schauffele on the second hole as he withdraws from the tournament due to a neck injury Picture: Jeff Gross/Getty Images

A neck injury forced Jason Day to dramatically withdraw on the second hole of the final round at the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup in Las Vegas, upsetting the Aussie’s plans to play a full month of tournaments before the Masters next month.

Day, 32, was playing in the second-last group and made a triple bogey on the opening hole when he pulled his approach from the right rough into the water.

He also pulled his next drive on the second hole and then withdrew after hitting his second shot.

It’s understood Day tweaked his neck during his warm-up that only worsened with his opening tee shot which finished with him taking one hand off the club and wincing in pain.

Day, who started the final round tied for fifth, left the course for treatment, hopeful the injury was nothing serious.

“My back had been a little jammed up and hurting most of the week, so I think maybe I did something to my neck while trying to compensate for that,” Day told pgatour.com.

“Hopefully, it won’t be too bad and I’ll be back next week. I’ve been swinging it really well, just needed a few more putts. It just sucks to have it happen any time but especially when you have a chance to win.”

“Hopefully it won’t be too bad and I’ll be back next week ... It just sucks to have it happen any time but especially when you have a chance to win.” https://t.co/hne91AVGZY

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 18, 2020

Day’s playing partner, Xander Schauffele said he sensed the Aussie wasn’t right after his first tee shot.

“He hit his first tee ball and one armed it and I asked him, “Man, did you one arm a 66 yesterday around here?” He said no, he kind of tweaked something in his shoulder, neck area on the range,” Schauffele said.

“He was struggling from his first swing and I wasn‘t surprised that he rested up for next week. Hopefully he can play next week.”

Day remains in the field for this week’s Zozo Championship.

It is the second time this year Day has withdrawn due to injury.

He pulled out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March during the second round due to back issues.

It is the 11th PGA Tour event that Day has officially withdrawn from since 2009 and his third withdrawal during the final two rounds of an event since 2014.

The rescheduled Masters begins on November 12 and will be played without spectators for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.