Paul Casey pulls out of opening Match Play clash after just two holes

Paul Casey conceded his opening game of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play due to back spasms after completing just two holes.
Casey won the opening hole with a par against group 10 opponent Corey Conners, but lost the second when the Canadian holed out from 148 yards for an eagle.
The pair had hit their tee shots on the par-four third hole when Casey signalled he was unable to continue.
Match 10: Paul Casey vs Corey Conners
Casey conceded the match due to injury (thru 2). Casey has not conceded Thursday and Friday matches.
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) March 23, 2022
The 44-year-old, twice a runner-up in this event, has not conceded his remaining group matches against Alex Noren on Thursday and Louis Oosthuizen on Friday and could still win both to potentially advance to the last 16.
The 64 players at Austin Country Club are split into 16 groups of four with only the pool winners advancing to the knockout stages at the weekend.
Group 11 features four major champions in the shape of Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, Justin Rose and Keegan Bradley, with Spieth beating Bradley 2up and Scott defeating Rose by the same margin.

Rose made a remarkable par on the 17th to keep the match alive, holing out from 98 yards from the drop zone after pulling his tee shot into the ravine to the left of the green, only to bogey the 18th.
The first full result of the day had come in group 14 as Maverick McNealy, who was the last man into the event on Monday when Sam Burns withdrew, made the most of his late call-up with an 8 and 6 thrashing of Joaquin Niemann.
“I was home last week, really hoping I’d get the chance to play, preparing like I was going to get a chance to play and had a nice round today for sure,” McNealy said.
Monday morning: Finds out he’s the last man in the field in Austin.
Wednesday afternoon: Takes down the top seed in Group 14. pic.twitter.com/GFXiPfD7tx
— WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (@DellMatchPlay) March 23, 2022
“He’s a great player and he’s the type of guy that can rattle off five birdies in a row at any given time, so I knew I had to keep the pedal down and hopefully run out of holes before that happened.”
The largest margin of victory in the event was achieved by Tiger Woods in 2006, who beat Stephen Ames 9 and 8. Ames had questioned Woods’ performance off the tee before the match, saying that “anything can happen, especially where he’s hitting the ball”.
Latest
-
European Tour
England’s Matt Wallace moves into contention at halfway stage of Dutch Open
A second round of 67 at Bernardus Golf gave Wallace a halfway total of eight under par and left him two shots behind Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia.
-
News
Rory McIlroy sees last week’s US PGA Championship as ‘one that got away’
He held a one-shot lead after an opening five-under-par 65 at Southern Hills.
-
PGA Tour
Justin Thomas switches focus to Texas after ‘unfathomable’ US PGA win
The former world number one won the championship for a second time on Sunday.
-
PGA Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick: Falling short at US PGA Championship ‘hurts a hell of a lot’
Fitzpatrick carded a closing three-over-par 73 to miss out on the play-off between eventual winner Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris by two shots.
-
PGA Championship
Justin Thomas pays tribute to caddie Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay after his US PGA victory
Phil Mickelson’s former bagman gave Thomas a crucial pep talk after he shot 74 on Saturday.
-
PGA Championship
Tommy Fleetwood confident he is ‘coming out the other side’ after dip in form
Fleetwood finished in a tie for fifth at the US PGA Championship.
-
PGA Championship
Emotional Justin Thomas credits his experience for US PGA victory
Thomas also won the 2017 US PGA at Quail Hollow.
-
PGA Championship
Justin Thomas eclipses Will Zalatoris in play-off to claim second US PGA title
The former world number one’s victory equalled the biggest comeback in US PGA history.
-
PGA Championship
Rory McIlroy’s Sunday charge at US PGA Championship ends in disappointment
McIlroy’s closing 68 in Tulsa was followed by him declining to speak to waiting reporters.
-
PGA Championship
Paul McGinley says Tiger Woods deserves better than to be a ‘ceremonial golfer’
The 46-year-old withdrew from a major championship for the first time in his professional career at Southern Hills.