Dustin Johnson will start the Masters on Thursday afternoon despite falling on some stairs and injuring his back at his Augusta rental home on Wednesday. DJ’s swing coach Butch Harmon informed Golf Channel’s Tim Rosaforte at about 12:30 p.m. ET that the golfer was due on the driving range shortly. ESPN’s Bob Harig reports the same.
Masters 2017: Dustin Johnson will reportedly start despite back injury
DJ hurt his back in a freak accident but multiple golf insiders said he’ll attempt to start anyway Thursday.
Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
Strength coach Joey Diovisalvi said Johnson was “moving better, sore but going to give it a try,” according to Rosaforte.
Earlier, Rosaforte’s GC colleague Todd Lewis reported that Johnson was “cautiously optimistic” to play after hurting his lower back in the spill. Physiotherapist Dr. Ara Suppiah is treating the reigning U.S. Open champion and reportedly suggested that Johnson not go at it 100 percent, but rather swing clubs at more like 75 percent.
Johnson, the top-ranked player in the game was on a serious roll entering this week’s first major on the men’s schedule. He won the last three events he started and finished among the top six in six of his last seven tournaments.
DJ’s manager issued a statement late Wednesday after the freak incident.
Apparently, things were not as bad as feared for Johnson, who, with the final tee time at 2:07 p.m. ET Thursday, has had much of the day to rest and receive treatment.
The oddsmakers’ heavy favorite to win the tourney before the incident and a player drawing increasing comparisons to another player with a bad back, Tiger Woods, Johnson cancelled his scheduled Wednesday night appearance to receive the Player of the Year award from the Golf Writers Association of America.
Tiger won’t be teeing it up any time soon, but DJ will apparently take the field alongside two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson and reigning PGA champion Jimmy Walker.
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