Max Greyserman’s search for his first PGA Tour win has hit another setback. A back injury forced him to withdraw from the Butterfield Bermuda Championship during Friday’s second round. This comes as he is trying to secure his place on Tour for 2027. Greyserman came close to winning the 2025 Rocket Classic, but 20-year-old Aldrich Potgieter beat him and Chris Kirk in a five-hole playoff with an 18-foot birdie putt.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
The PGA Tour’s communications account confirmed Greyserman’s withdrawal. He was set to tee off at 7:41 a.m. ET Friday alongside Hank Lebioda and A.J. Ewart at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton. The post gave no details on when the injury began or how serious it is, and it didn’t say where he stood on the leaderboard when he stopped.
This isn’t the first time Greyserman’s back has cut a week short. He withdrew during the second round of the 2024 Mexico Open, then returned to finish T47 at the Cognizant Classic. A hand injury forced him out of the 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am before the final round.
Back trouble is an occupational hazard in golf. A systematic review of professional golfers found lumbar spine injuries were the most commonly reported, ranging from 22% to 34% across studies, though the authors noted the research quality was limited.
The timing could not be much worse for Greyserman. Bermuda is one of the last five events in the FedExCup Fall, and players who finish in the top 100 of the standings earn full PGA Tour status for 2027. Greyserman arrived in Bermuda at No. 99, just behind Chandler Phillips and one place ahead of Lee Hodges at No. 100. Now, his withdrawal means he cannot earn any more points this week. With the players around him still competing, he could slip further down the standings.
Greyserman had reasons to feel hopeful about his chances in Bermuda. VSiN ranked him 14th in the field for strokes gained: total in high winds over the past five years. Golf Channel also expected windy conditions during the week. That made him a player to watch. But his recent results have been mixed. He finished T10 in Asheville, missed the cut at the Bank of Utah Championship and placed T61 at the Baycurrent Classic.
His 2026 season has been full of ups and downs. Greyserman started with a T56 at The American Express and later finished T14 at the PGA Championship at Aronimink. He also took T9 at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson after shooting 19-under par. But those results came alongside some tough weeks, including missed cuts at THE PLAYERS Championship and the Masters, where he shot 79 and 77.
It’s a long way from where his career began. The former Duke standout turned pro in 2017 and earned his first PGA Tour card in 2023 by finishing 9th on the Korn Ferry Tour points list. He finished 48th in the FedExCup in 2024, the year he fired a 60 at the Wyndham Championship and placed solo second at the 3M Open. A man with that kind of talent rarely sits comfortably on the bubble.
What remains unclear is how long he’ll be sidelined. The Tour hasn’t said whether he’ll tee it up next week, and back problems rarely come with a timeline. Four events remain after this one, and Greyserman doesn’t have much time to find out.