The 15-time Major winner had a collapsed disk in his lower back replaced on Friday and it remains to be seen when he will play again.
He has not yet said if he will play December’s Hero World Challenge or the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie.
But having not played since the PNC Championship last December and left the PGA of America waiting until July 2024 before turning down the 2025 captaincy, his latest health reverse raises questions about his ability to do the job at the venue owned by his pal JP McManus.
At the Open de España, Marco Penge beat Dan Brown with a birdie at the first extra hole to move into the world’s top 50 and clinch starts in the Masters and The Open next year.
Four clear overnight, Penge shot a scrappy one-over 72 as Brown birdied the last to shoot 67 and draw level on 15-under at the Club de Campo.
“It’s crazy,” Penge said after making a six-footer to secure his Augusta debut and move to second in the Race to Dubai behind Rory McIlroy. “It’s a golf course that I’ve always wanted to play because I feel like my game sets up really, really good for it.
“My goal was to get in the top 50 in the world by the end of the year, so I think that made it a little easier, playing the play-off knowing that if I don’t win, I’m still going to be at the Masters.”
Tom McKibbin birdied the last from 22 feet for a 69 to finish fourth on 12-under and all but secure his third successive appearance in the DP World Tour Championship as he jumped to 37th in the Race to Dubai.
Xander Schauffele poses for a photo with his trophy after he won the Baycurrent Classic at the Yokohama Country Club in Yokohama, near Tokyo. Photo:Hiro Komae/AP
In Japan, Xander Schauffele clinched his first win since The Open 14 months ago when he fired a seven-under 64 to win the Baycurrent Classic, edging out Max Greyserman by a stroke on 19-under to claim his 10th PGA Tour win and a move to third in the world.
On the LPGA Tour, world number one Jeeno Thitikul came from four shots behind with five holes to play to win the Buick LPGA Shanghai and become the first two-time LPGA winner this season.
She shot a nine-under 63 to tie with Japan’s Minami Katsu on 24-under before winning with an eagle three at the fifth tie hole as Leona Maguire’s 72 left her joint 54th on three-under.
At the LET’s Hero Women’s Indian Open, rookie Anna Foster claimed her second top of the season when she tied for seventh ($12,067) at DLF Golf and Country Club in Delhi.
A three-under 69 left the Elm Park talent just five shots behind Singaporean Shannon Tan (21), who shot 67 to win her third LET title by a shot from Alice Hewson on seven-under.
Annabel Wilson was 30th on seven-over and Sara Byrne 34th on eight-over after they shot 73s, while Canice Screene tied for 50th after a 78.
Foster moved to 40th in the race to make the top 70 who keep full playing rights with Byrne, who has pulled out of the LPGA Q-School Second Stage to concentrate on the LET next year, 62nd, Wilson 79th and Screene 140th.
At the HotelPlanner Tour’s Hainan Open, Italy’s Renato Paratore secured automatic DP World Tour promotion with his third win of the season.
He birdied the last before beating Austria’s Maximilian Steinlechner on the first extra hole as Liam Nolan shot 69 to finish 43rd on four under, falling to 37th in the race for 20 DP World Tour cards.
