Photo Courtesy: Keith Allison
By Jay Betsill
2012 FedEx St. Jude Classic champion Dustin Johnson citing “illness” withdrew after nine holes at TPC Southwind in Memphis. Johnson, the No. 7 player in the world, was the highest ranked player in the field.
Johnson won earlier this season at the WGC-Cadillac Championship Doral and lost to James Hahn in a playoff at the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club. Recently, he finished in a tie for 13th at last week’s Memorial and tied for 8th the week prior at the AT&T Byron Nelson in Las Colinas.
He started the day with three consecutive bogeys, parred out the front nine before withdrawing from the event.
“Thanks everyone for all your concern and support,” Johnson tweeted Thursday afternoon. “I hated to have to withdraw this morning. But I’ll be back!!”
Johnson is still expected to play in next week’s U.S. Open at Chambers Bay.
