Jason Day Withdraws From 3M Open Again as Back Injury Threatens FedExCup Hopes

What Happened Jason Day is out of the 3M Open. Again. The 13-time PGA Tour winner withdrew from the $8.8 million event citing the same chronic back injury that's plagued him for years — an annular tear in his L4-L5 discs first diagnosed back in 2019. He'd undergone rhizotomy surgery in 2020 to try to fix it, but the pain has resurfaced, and this marks his second withdrawal of the season alone.

Charley Hoffman stepped into the field as Day's replacement, and the timing stings a bit — Day was making his first appearance at the 3M Open in four years, hoping to build some momentum. Instead, he's left the tournament before it even started.

Why the Back Keeps Coming Back This isn't new territory for Day. His back has forced him out of big moments dating back to 2009, including withdrawals from the WGC event and BMW Championship in 2014, and again from the BMW/Tour Championship in 2016. Even at the 2019 Masters, the pain got so bad he considered pulling out mid-tournament — it was his wife who talked him into gutting it out.

Day's been candid about where he thinks things went wrong. "I wish I would have done a few things differently, gym-wise," he admitted recently. "So I wouldn't have compromised some of the stuff in my body." He insists his body is feeling good now, but the pattern tells a different story — one where flare-ups show up right when he needs consistency most.

The FedExCup Squeeze Here's where it gets real for Day's season. He's currently sitting at 72nd in the FedExCup standings, and with two straight withdrawals, he now has just two events left to climb into playoff position. For a golfer with 13 tour wins and a legacy that includes a major championship, missing the playoffs entirely would be a rough coda to a season already defined by physical setbacks.

The FedExCup playoffs aren't just about pride — they carry serious money and points implications that shape a player's entire year. Falling short means fewer chances to compete against the tour's best, less exposure, and a tougher road back into elite tournament fields next season.

What's Next Day's window is narrowing fast. Two events, one back that's shown it can derail plans at any moment, and a ranking that leaves little margin for error. Whether he tees it up healthy or has to make another tough call remains the biggest storyline hanging over the rest of his season.