It has been some time since Jason Day won on the Tour. His last win was the 2023 AT&T Byron Nelson on the PGA Tour, and he failed to make the cut at the Memorial Tournament. But things can always change. While he was vying to end that winless stretch at the US Open 2026, his campaign came to an alarming halt before it could begin due to an injury that continues to follow him.

“Jason Day WD during round one of the U.S. Open with a back injury,” the PGA Tour Communications updated in an X post.

The Australian professional withdrew after playing ten holes in his opening round, where he was seven over. He started his round on the back nine, and he never looked settled, making seven bogeys in the first nine.

After opening with a bogey on the 10th, he made pars on the 11th and the 12th. But then came six consecutive bogeys from the 13th through the 18th before a par on the 1st. This took him to 7-over 42 in just 10 holes. He was carted off the course after he gave up when his tee shot on the par-3 second hole went into a greenside bunker.

But this struggle is not just the story of the US Open 2026.

He has been struggling with form throughout the season. Jason Day started his 2026 campaign with a tied runner-up finish at the American Express. But since then, he has posted only one top-10 score at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, while missing the cut at three.

This was his 14th appearance at the Shinnecock Hills, and he has posted two runner-up finishes so far, in 2011 and then in 2013. However, he has not had a top 10 finish at the US Open in nearly a decade. But this is not the first time Jason Day has faced a back injury.

In fact, this one is his 12th withdrawal because of injury, and most of them were associated with back problems. His back problem spans decades, as he has struggled with it since he was only 13 years old. In 2019, MRI scans revealed an annular tear in the L4-L5 discs, and he had to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He received cortisone shots for the same. Then, in 2020, he underwent rhizotomy surgery to sever nerve roots in the spinal cord. The major champion previously withdrew from:

• The BMW Championship 2016
• The Tour Championship 2016
• The CJ Cup Byron Nelson 2020
• The John Deere Classic 2022
• The Wyndham Championship 2022
• The Truist Championship 2025

Besides the back injuries, he has also battled benign positional vertigo. The condition caused his 2015 US Open collapse at Chambers Bay. He had the same symptoms at the 2023 Masters. While he completed the 2023 Masters, he had to withdraw from the RBC Heritage.

Back injuries have affected many elites this season. Rory McIlroy, for instance, had to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the same reason. Shortly after that, Collin Morikawa withdrew from the Players Championship after playing just one hole. Thankfully, both recovered soon, and the Northern Irishman even went on to defend his Masters title after the injury scare.

Like McIlroy and Morikawa, Jason Day could also be seen playing PGA Tour events soon, but it depends on the severity of his condition. Since the severity remains unclear, there’s no saying when he will return. The Travelers Championship next week is the last Signature Event on the schedule. So if anything, Jason Day would want to play that if he recovers. But if not, it could mean that the back injury is taking a toll on him, and fans could see a longer hiatus.