Masters favorite Dustin Johnson took a serious fall on a staircase Wednesday and injured his lower back, and his manager said it was uncertain whether the world's No. 1 golfer would be able to play the tournament.
It was a stunning development on an otherwise quiet day at Augusta National, where the course was shut down at 1:30 p.m. because of storms.
The real calamity struck a few hours later. David Winkle, his manager at Hambric Sports, said Johnson fell on the stairs at the home he is renting in Augusta.
"He landed very hard on his lower back and is now resting, although quite uncomfortably," Winkle said in an email. "He has been advised to remain immobile and begin a regimen of anti-inflammatory medication and icing, with the hope of being able to play tomorrow."
What might help Johnson is that he is in the last group for the opening round, scheduled to tee off at 2:03 p.m. with two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and PGA champion Jimmy Walker. Read more at CNBC.
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