PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Defending Masters Tournament champion Hideki Matsuyama announced his retirement from The Players Championship on Thursday due to a back injury.
The PGA Tour did not specify the nature of his injury. The Japanese retired about an hour before the major tournament kicked off at TPC Sawgrass.
Matsuyama will attempt to successfully defend his title in a month at Augusta National. He became the first Japanese golfer to win a major tournament last year, at the Masters Tournament.
He is one of only two golfers to have enjoyed more than one victory already this season. Matsuyama triumphed at the Zozo Championship in Japan last fall, and at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January.
Matsuyama gave up his place in the table to Patrick Rodgers.
