Two years after shooting a magical 59 in the BMW Championship at Conway Farms Golf Club, Jim Furyk was forced to pull out of the tournament at the same venue on Thursday because of a wrist injury.
Furyk battled through six holes and was one over par in the opening round before calling it quits in the third of the PGA Tour`s four FedExCup playoff events after the pain had intensified in his left wrist.
The withdrawal of the 45-year-old American, a 17-times winner on the U.S. circuit, casts doubt on his fitness for next week`s Tour Championship in Atlanta and also the Oct. 8-11 Presidents Cup in South Korea.
"I`m very concerned," said Furyk. "I would like to be ready for both of them, and if I can`t get ready for next week, I would like to get ready for the Presidents Cup.
"But also I want to play with a chance to compete, and right now being out here I have no chance to compete this week with the pain I was feeling and with what I had shot-wise."
The former U.S. Open champion, who won the 2010 FedExCup, is placed ninth in the season-long points race and is certain to qualify among the 30 players who would advance from a field of 70 at this week`s event to the Tour Championship finale.
Furyk said his wrist injury initially flared up during the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second playoff event, before it worsened after Wednesday`s pro-am competition at Conway Farms.
"I`m in pain out there and I`m not near a hundred percent," the PGA Tour veteran said. "I don`t know if flinching is the right word, but I`m having a hard time getting through the ball on the ground right now.
"On (hole) 15, I had that little half wedge and it was pretty painful to hit the shot. It`s just not worth being out there."
Furyk had not withdrawn from a PGA Tour event in 20 years, a span of 477 straight events.
