AUSTIN, Texas — Paul Casey conceded his first match of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play on Wednesday after just two holes — one he won — citing back spasms as the reason.
On Thursday, he didn’t even show up to the tee box for his second-round match with Alex Noren at Austin Country Club.
Casey said he was taped, went through physio and had ice and heat treatments before realizing he simply couldn’t compete.
“Purely, it’s a thing when you get to your 40s. But that’s I guess what’s causing the pain in the spasms up the back,” he said. “I’ve had it, I’ve probably had this like four, five times in 20 years, but it’s, so it’s not an injury, it’s just, what is it? Fatigue? Could be back from still Players and the cold weather and all sorts of stuff and traveling.
“And I wanted to play today, but you just, you just saw it. I mean it’s like, it hurt — I was in there for a good hour this morning getting more treatment, hoping I could go, just tender on the putting green and then started to feel it on the chipping green and then couldn’t get past a 9-iron, so …”
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Casey was in contention at the Players Championship two weeks ago, finishing third in a tournament marred by windy, chilly conditions. He then withdrew from the Valspar Championship, a tournament he won back-to-back in 2018 and 2019.
When asked if he’d try again Friday in a scheduled match with Louis Oosthuizen, Casey said he wasn’t certain, but added that he didn’t think he could do any long-term damage if he did play.
“I’m not going to injure it, but it’s a, it’s a muscular thing that’s just, it just hurts. So I can’t injure it. It’s not a skeletal type, bones out of place or anything,” he said. “I don’t know. I mean, I can’t go through, so it’s kind of like what’s the point? I hate to just give a guy a match, and that would be Louis tomorrow. I guess that makes it even, doesn’t it, I give one to Corey, about to give one to Alex.”
Even if he does play on Friday, Casey won’t be able to advance to Saturday’s Round of 16, something he’s done with consistency in his previous 11 starts at the match-play event. The three-time PGA Tour winner has two second-place finishes in this tournament and has reached the final 16 in all but four of those appearances.
With the victory on Friday, Noren is now 2-0 with one remaining match against Conners.
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