SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – There will be no three-peat Sunday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Hideki Matsuyama, the two-time defending champion of the event, withdrew before his afternoon round Friday with a left thumb injury.
Matsuyama, who shot 2-under 69 in Thursday’s opening round alongside Rickie Fowler and Webb Simpson, arrived at the course Friday morning before informing tournament officials that he would not play on.
The World No. 5 was seen during the first round getting his left wrist taped. Matsuyama told Japanese reporters after his withdrawal that he actually started feeling pain around his lower thumb and hand on the 13th hole.
“I did some treatment last night, but the pain was still there this morning when I practiced,” Matsuyama said. “I decided that it was not worth forcing myself to continue to play and worsen the injury, so I was very disappointed that I had to withdraw.
“As much as I wanted to continue to play and with the three-peat in mind, the pain was just too much.”
This is Matsuyama’s first WD since the 2016 Honda Classic and first at the Phoenix Open, where he has lost to just four players combined the last four years.
He entered this week having notched two top-5s in four starts this PGA Tour season. He tied for 12th last week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Matsuyama said upcoming starts at the Genesis Open and WGC-Mexico Championship are up in the air now.