World number one Dustin Johnson withdrew from the Masters just moments before he was due to start his first round at Augusta National on Thursday.
Johnson looked set to tee off shortly after 7pm Irish time despite the back injury he suffered in a “serious fall” in his rented house on Wednesday afternoon.
However, the US Open champion then left the first tee and headed into the clubhouse, leaving Bubba Watson and Jimmy Walker to tee off in the final group.
Johnson had earlier gone through a short initial warm-up on the range before receiving treatment, the 32-year-old then returning to the range and appearing more at ease as he hit shots under the watchful eye of coach Butch Harmon.
Johnson, who had won his previous three events, said: “It sucks. I want to play. I’m playing the best golf of my life and to have a freak accident happen yesterday afternoon, it sucks really bad.
“I have been worked on all morning and obviously I can take some swings, but I can’t swing full, I can’t make my normal swing and I didn’t think there was any chance I could compete.”
Johnson said that the accident happened when he was heading outside to move his car before his son Tatum got back from daycare.
“I was wearing socks and slipped and went down the three stairs,” he added. “The left side of my lower back took the brunt of it and my left elbow is bruised as well.”
World number ones at the Masters
2003 Tiger Woods T15
2004 Tiger Woods T22
2005 Vijay Singh T5
2006 Tiger Woods T3
2007 Tiger Woods T2
2008 Tiger Woods 2
2009 Tiger Woods T6
2010 Tiger Woods T4
2011 Martin Kaymer MC
2012 Luke Donald T32
2013 Tiger Woods T4
2014 Tiger Woods DNS
2015 Rory McIlroy 4
2016 Jason Day T10
2017 Dustin Johnson DNS
MC = missed cut
DNS = did not start
