PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Hideki Matsuyama withdrew from THE PLAYERS Championship with a lingering back injury Thursday morning.

He was replaced in the field by Patrick Rodgers. Matsuyama had been scheduled to go off the 10th hole at 8:40 a.m. with Joaquin Niemann and Cameron Smith.

One of the popular pre-tournament favorites, Matsuyama came into this week as one of only two multiple winners on the PGA TOUR this season (ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, Sony Open in Hawaii). Scottie Scheffler, who has won in two of his last three starts, is the other.

Although the tournament wound up being cancelled amid the emerging COVID-19 pandemic, Matsuyama (63) led after round one of the 2020 PLAYERS. He will be the defending champion at the Masters Tournament at Augusta National next month.