Impressive decadelong streak ends as Hideki Matsuyama withdraws from BMW Championship

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. — Only days after mounting a furious Sunday rally at the FedEx St. Jude Championship to keep his PGA Tour-leading streak alive of Tour Championship appearances, Hideki Matsuyama withdrew from the BMW Championship on Friday due to a back injury.

According to reporters from Japan who spoke to the former Masters champion, Matsuyama heard a pop on the right side of his lower back while warming up for the second round at Olympia Fields Country Club. He felt significant discomfort and couldn’t warm up further, forcing him to withdraw.

He was due to tee off at the second FedEx Cup playoff event in the day’s final pairing with Tom Hoge at 1 p.m. local time. The Japanese star had opened with a one-over 71 on the North Course at Olympia Fields.

Matsuyama had qualified for the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta each of the last nine years, the longest active streak on the PGA Tour.

Playing the final four holes in four under par Sunday at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Matsuyama fired a closing five-under 65 to finish T-16. The late push enabled him to sneak into the top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings at 47th place. He had begun the opening playoff event 57th. He receives last-place unofficial earnings of $66,000.

The field is reduced to 49 players. The top 30 in the standings come Sunday advance to the Tour Championship.