AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) – After losing his first two matches, Paul Casey has withdrawn from the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play due to back spasms.
Casey made it two holes before relinquishing his first-day match against Corey Conners due to back spasms, and Conners began his warm-up when he conceded his second-day match to Alex Noren due to back spasms.
“I wanted to play today, but it was too painful.” Casey stated, “I was tender on the putting green, then started to feel it on the chipping green, and then couldn’t get passed a 9-iron [in his warm-up].” “I’m not going to do any more harm to it.” It’s just a physical issue that’s bothering me.”
Casey said he spent more than an hour early Thursday in the physio trailer getting therapy and applying KT Tape to his lower back, but his back rapidly began to spasm, which the trainers indicated was due to his “glutes being shut off.”
“This has happened to me four or five times in the last 20 years, so it’s not an injury.” It could just be exhaustion from The Players, combined with the chilly weather and travel,” he explained.
Casey wasn’t sure if he would withdraw from the competition at first. He could still play his Friday match against Louis Oosthuizen because of the WGC-Match Play’s round-robin format, even though he had no chance of progressing to the knockout rounds.
“I’m not sure.” I’m not going to make it [to the weekend], so what’s the point?” When questioned about playing on Friday, Casey said. “I hate giving a guy a match, and that would be Louis tomorrow, but I suppose it evens things out, doesn’t it?” “I just handed one to [Corey Conners] and I’m about to give one to Alex [Noren].”
The point for Friday’s match will be awarded to Oosthuizen, who will complete the week with a record of 1-2-0.
