Recent Ryder Cup addition Paul Casey withdrew ahead of the final round of the weather-delayed BMW Championship, citing a back injury.
Casey was scheduled to tee off at 8:10 a.m. ET Monday morning at Aronimink Golf Club alongside Patrick Cantlay and Si Woo Kim, with the final round delayed a day by heavy rains and looking like a long shot to begin at all. But shortly before the first group teed off, Casey announced his withdrawal.
Casey was tied for 50th through three rounds after scores of 69-68-69. He started the week 17th in the points race, and even after the withdrawal is only projected to drop to No. 26, meaning he’s likely to advance to the 30-man Tour Championship that begins Sept. 20.
Projected FedExCup standings
Full-field scores from BMW Championship
This is not the first time this year that Casey’s back has flared up, as it also led him to withdraw ahead of The Players Championship in May. But the 41-year-old returned to action just two weeks later, and he recorded three top-20 finishes in his first three starts back including a runner-up at the Travelers Championship.
After re-joining the European Tour for the first time in three years and earning his first PGA Tour win since 2009 at the Valspar Championship in March, Casey was called a “no-brainer” when selected by captain Thomas Bjorn on Wednesday alongside Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson to round out the European roster for the Ryder Cup matches that begin Sept. 28. It will mark his fourth Ryder Cup appearance overall but first since 2008.
Source: Internet
