Nick Watney is shutting it down for 2016. Watney, who has a herniated disc in his back, had taken the last couple of months off with the hope of improving how he feels. Unfortunately, that hasn't worked out, so Watney is taking the next step and calling it a year.
"I just don't want it to turn into a chronic thing and have it every few years," Watney said, according to the Associated Press.
"I'm rehabbing. But I don't want to have surgery, and that's part of the reason I'm going to take the year off. I just want to rehab and get everything sorted out. I've never had to sit out this long, and so it stinks."
Watney has probably seen the issues Tiger Woods has faced with disc problems and the resulting downtime that comes from choosing surgery, as well the potential complications and recurring issues that come from choosing to go under the knife. After all, as we've said many times before, back surgeries begat back surgeries.
The Nike staffer hasn't played since the Farmers Insurance Open, and his withdrawal from the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am signaled the start of his run on the disabled list.
