Austin Smotherman Reveals How He Battled Back After Last Week’s Injury Withdrawal
GREENSBORO, NC - AUGUST 04: Austin Smotherman watches his ball on the 16th tee box during the second round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Aug. 4, 2023. Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire GOLF: AUG 04 PGA, Golf Herren - Wyndham Championship EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon230804044
GREENSBORO, NC - AUGUST 04: Austin Smotherman watches his ball on the 16th tee box during the second round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Aug. 4, 2023. Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire GOLF: AUG 04 PGA, Golf Herren - Wyndham Championship EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon230804044
Austin Smotherman entered the THE PLAYERS Championship with questions surrounding his health after withdrawing from the Arnold Palmer Invitational the previous week due to lower back spasms.
The issue forced Austin Smotherman to step away from the tournament at Bay Hill, raising concerns about whether he would be able to compete at full capacity just days later.
He was asked how he managed to return so quickly, Austin Smotherman explained during the press conference at THE PLAYERS Championship on Thursday.
Smotherman shared: “My caddie's been here 15 times. It's a hard golf course anyways. Once you're out of position, it's not like you need to go practice those shots. It's a hack-out wedge, and I'm not going to hit that with my back being on the edge and wasn't going to push it. So that was what the team and me and my caddie decided on, and here we are playing nicely today."
The 31-year-old also pointed out that putting played a key role in keeping his round together despite the limited preparation.
“I kind of stole some with the long putts, which has kind of been my MO lately, with kind of my first round all the way back at Cognizant. Same thing, making a ton of putts, two three-putts today, and then hopefully roll in a little 15-footer in the morning.”
That approach appeared to pay off once the tournament began.
Austin Smotherman Turns Recovery Week Into Contention at THE PLAYERS Championship
That recovery began to show once the opening round started. After dealing with a back issue the previous week, Smotherman opened the tournament on Thursday with a score that placed him in a five-way tie for the lead at five-under par.
The round, however, was not completed on Thursday. Play at TPC Sawgrass was suspended due to darkness, leaving Smotherman among the few players who still had one hole remaining.
He completed 17 holes and will return on Friday morning to finish his round on the par-5 ninth, where he faces a 14-foot, 9-inch birdie putt that could move him to six-under and give him the solo lead.
His scorecard was also helped by a long birdie putt on the eighth hole, which came shortly before play was halted for the day.
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Written by
Aditi Singh
Edited by
Kalp Thaker