SAN ANTONIO — Just 10 days after he told media members he was at 80 percent in his recovery from neck and shoulder injuries suffered during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, reigning Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama pulled out of the Valero Texas Open on Friday.
Last year, Matsuyama shot 69-71-65-73 to win by one over Will Zalatoris and by three over 2015 champion Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele. It was his first major title and he became the first from Japan to win the Masters.
The move heightened speculation that he will not be able to defend his title.
Matsuyama withdrew from the Valero after just missing a hole-in-one on the 16th hole at the Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio.
It can't get much closer to an ace 🎯 pic.twitter.com/kjAB5Exeeu
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 1, 2022
“I’ve been receiving a lot of treatment,” Matsuyama said on March 22 in a conference call with reporters. “I’ll do my best to prepare well so I can defend my title at Augusta. I haven’t been able to practice as much as I’d like, but what I have been doing, I feel like I’m on the right track.”
Matsuyama has a pair of victories on Tour this year, the last coming at the Sony Open in Hawaii, and he has a total of eight on the PGA Tour to go with eight wins on the Japan Golf Tour. The 30-year-old is tied with K.J. Choi for most PGA Tour wins by an Asian-born player.
Also, Kevin Tway withdrew from the Valero with a wrist injury.
