Two-time major champion Dustin Johnson pulled out of the Asian Tour’s PIF Saudi International after tweaking his back.
Johnson, 38, was scheduled to play in the first round of the tournament at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club an hour north of Jeddah, but reportedly strained his back during a practice round, skipped the pro-am on Wednesday and was unable to try to win his third title at the event, having won there in 2019 and 2021.
“Two-time champion Dustin Johnson has unfortunately had to withdraw ahead of the first round of the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers after tweaking his back,” read a short statement from Asian Tour.
Johnson has battled back injuries in the past, most famously when he withdrew shortly before the 2017 Masters as the favorite to win the Green Jacket. He left the PGA Tour last season and joined LIV Golf, where he won more than $35 million and captained the 4 Aces to the season-ending title. Johnson is expected to play next at LIV’s season-opening event at the Mayakoba Resort in Mexico, Feb. 24-26.
