Dustin Johnson has suffered a back injury from a fall at his Masters rental home on Wednesday, and his agent says the world No. 1 is hopeful that he will play in the year's first major.
Johnson's lower back was injured in what agent David Winkle of Hambric Sports termed a “serious fall” in his Augusta rental home and landed “very hard” on his lower back and elbows, according to an email sent to Golf Channel and other outlets.
The reigning U.S. Open champion has been advised to rest and has been taking anti-inflammatory medication.
Fortunately, Johnson has the final tee time on Thursday with two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson and reigning PGA champion Jimmy Walker. They start their first round a 2:03 p.m. Eastern, giving Johnson the maximum amount of time to feel ready to chase a first Masters title.
Johnson has won his last three starts heading into the Masters, taking the Genesis Open to become world No. 1 for the first time, then winning the WGC-Mexico Championship and the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. Were Johnson to win, he'd be the first world No. 1 to win the Masters since Tiger Woods in 2002 and the first player in the history of the Masters to make the major his fourth consecutive win.
