DJ’s Tumble Leaves Him Questionable For Masters

‘Twas the night before the Masters, and all through the house, not a golfer was stirring, except for Dustin Johnson who fell down the stairs and hurt his back.

Yes, you’re reading this right. No, I’m not kidding. Earlier today, the number 1 golfer in the world was walking around barefoot in his rental home, when he slipped and landed hard on his lower back and elbows. According to DJ’s agent Dan Winkle, “He has been advised to remain immobile and begin a regiment of anti-inflammatory medication and icing, with the hope of being able to play tomorrow”. This shocking revelation comes less than a day from the start of the tournament, and has caused quite a firestorm with the media.

Should Dustin not play, he would be only the fourth player ranked number 1 in the world to miss a major, joining Rory McIlroy, Greg Norman and Tiger Woods. It would also be a significant blow to the tournament, which annually brings out the top golfers in the world. It would be especially disappointing considering the fact that DJ is coming off of three wins in a row, and is undoubtedly the hottest golfer in the world at the moment. However, the Masters is still the Masters, and while DJ not playing would be a letdown, by no means would it prevent the Masters from having another great tournament this year.

Personally, I’m more concerned about DJ and his status as the most dominant player in the world. This situation draws parallels with Tiger, who consistently played through injuries and won tournaments. In terms of longevity, the constant strain on the lower back from swinging a club, combined with the injury only serves to compile the problems, and in Tiger’s case, it was arguably the cause of his downfall.

As much as it hurts me to say this, I think the best thing DJ can do at this point is to sit the tournament out and take a break to recover. He’s a freak athlete, and in good health, he’s becoming more and more unbeatable as his game evolves. However, by playing through an injury, he jeopardizes all of that and risks doing irreparable damage that could prevent him from playing as well as he has been in the future. Look at Jason Day. He has a powerful swing that puts a lot of strain on his lower back, and as he was getting comfortable as the number 1 player in the world, a lower back injury derailed his dominance. If DJ wants to avoid the same from happening to him, then I truly believe that he needs to take some time to recover instead of pushing himself too hard and hurting himself even more.

Who knows what he’ll do though. I’m no doctor and maybe this whole thing could just be getting blown out of proportion. Besides, 20 years ago, Happy Gilmore continued playing after being hit by a car and still ended up taking home the gold jacket. If anyone could pull off something similar, my money would be on Johnson. We won’t know anything definite until his 2:03PM tee time, but until then, my fingers are crossed for a speedy recovery by the number 1 player in the world.

Odds to win 2017 Masters (Updated 4.5.17 – 9:15 p.m. ET)

Jordan Spieth 6/1

Rory McIlroy 7/1

Dustin Johnson 9/1

Jon Rahm 16/1

Rickie Fowler 16/1

Jason Day 18/1

Phil Mickelson 18/1

Hideki Matsuyama 20/1

Written by Paul Choma