Day's US Open Exit
Australian Golfer Jason Day Withdraws from U.S. Open Due to Persistent Back Injury
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Jason Day has withdrawn from the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills after just 10 holes, his back giving out mid-round on Thursday Yahoo Sports. The 38-year-old Australian was already grimacing on the driving range before he teed off, and things only got worse from there — he finished 7-over par before climbing into a golf cart and leaving the course.
Day told reporters on his way to the locker room, "It just seized up on the range. I thought I could work through it, but every swing felt like a knife." Yahoo Sports The USGA confirmed his withdrawal in a formal statement, noting no alternate would join the field since Day had already started his round.
A Rough Round That Ended With a Triple Bogey
Day started on the 10th hole alongside Collin Morikawa and Aaron Rai Yahoo Sports. He held steady for the first three holes, then collapsed — recording six straight bogeys from holes 13 through 18. When he made the turn to the front nine, he made a triple-bogey 7 on the par-4 1st hole. That was his last.
His caddie, Luke Reardon, told reporters: "Jase is a warrior, but you could see by the 14th he wasn't able to rotate. It's the same old story with the back." Yahoo Sports After completing the 1st hole, Day consulted with a USGA official and officially withdrew. He was carted back to the clubhouse, visibly unable to walk the distance comfortably.
Day's Back Has Haunted Him for Years
This is not new for Day. He famously collapsed on the 9th hole at the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay due to vertigo, yet still finished the round Yahoo Sports. Analysts like Brandel Chamblee have long argued that Day's high-torque golf swing puts too much strain on the lower spine — the same kind of swing made famous by Tiger Woods.
Chamblee put it bluntly: "We are watching the sunset of a generation of golfers who sold their backs for ball speed. Jason is the poster child for this." Yahoo Sports Day entered this U.S. Open ranked 47th in the world, after missing the cut at the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago while citing "general soreness."
A Career Defined by Majors — and Near-Misses
Day won the 2015 PGA Championship and reached world No. 1. He has also finished second at the Masters (2011), the U.S. Open (2011 and 2013), and The Open Championship (2023) Yahoo Sports. This is his 14th U.S. Open appearance, and it ends without a single completed round.
The 2026 U.S. Open carries a record $22.5 million purse, with $4.5 million going to the winner Yahoo Sports. By withdrawing mid-round, Day takes home nothing. Fellow Australian Adam Scott summed up the mood: "It's a blow for Aussie golf. We need Jase out here, especially at a place like Shinnecock where his short game is a weapon."
What Comes Next for Day's Season
Day must now focus on recovering in time for The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in July Yahoo Sports. If the back injury requires surgery — which would be his first major procedure of this type — his place in the 2026 FedExCup Playoffs could be in serious doubt.
His world ranking, currently 47th, is expected to slip outside the top 50 following this withdrawal Yahoo Sports. Day showed real promise earlier this season — a tie for second at the American Express and a tie for 12th at the Masters — making this setback all the more painful for one of golf's most talented, and fragile, players.
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