Hideki Matsuyama provides worrying injury status at Tour Championship

Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, is pushing through multiple injuries as he seeks his first FedEx Cup title at the Tour Championship this week. At 32, Matsuyama had to withdraw from the BMW Championship last week due to a back injury, even though he was in contention. Despite this setback, he remains in third place in the FedEx Cup standings heading into the final event of the season, where a record $25 million is at stake for the winner.

Fans of Matsuyama can take some solace in the fact that he plans to compete in the Tour Championship’s first round on Thursday at East Lake. He will start the tournament with a score of 7-under par, placing him three strokes behind leader Scottie Scheffler in the staggered scoring format.

However, Matsuyama faces a tough challenge as he is not only dealing with his back injury but also a persistent neck issue. According to the Golf Injury Report on X/Twitter, Matsuyama has stated that his back is currently at 50-60% of its full strength. Nevertheless, he believes he will be able to complete all four rounds of the tournament. In comments shared by Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis, Matsuyama’s team confirmed that while his back is still not at 100%, he is determined to play this week.

Matsuyama’s neck injury has been an ongoing issue for nearly two years and flared up again during the BMW Championship last week. Despite these physical challenges, the World No. 7 is focused not only on claiming his first FedEx Cup title but also on getting fully fit for the upcoming Presidents Cup, which will be held at Royal Montreal in Canada in four weeks.

Matsuyama has already secured his place on Mike Weir’s International Presidents Cup team, set to face Jim Furyk’s United States squad from September 26-29. He will be joined by Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, Jason Day, Adam Scott, and Byeong Hun An, who have also earned their spots on the team. Weir is expected to announce his six captain’s picks at a press conference next Tuesday.

The International team has historically struggled in the Presidents Cup, securing only one victory in 14 matches—a 20.5-11.5 win at Royal Melbourne in Australia in 1998. They also managed a tie with the U.S. at Fancourt in South Africa in 2003, but the American team has dominated the event otherwise.

Next month will mark Matsuyama’s sixth consecutive appearance for the International team, as he hopes to help secure a rare victory in this biennial competition.