All this time, we were monitoring Tiger Woods' status for the Masters, and it's Phil Mickelson that pulls up lame.
Reuters reported early Sunday morning that Mickelson pulled out of the Texas Open on Saturday, citing an abdominal strain.
The injury comes less than two weeks before the Masters, and puts Mickelson's status for Augusta in doubt.
According to Reuters, the three-time Masters champion pulled an oblique muscle midway through the third round of the tournament in San Antonio.
"I pulled a muscle on my downswing trying to hit the ball hard on the second hole," Mickelson, who started his round on the 10th hole, said in a statement.
"It wouldn't subside for 10 or 12 seconds. I'm going to go back to San Diego for a couple of days and have a doctor take a look at it but there's really not much you can do for a pulled muscle."
Woods' status for the Masters also is unclear because of a bulging disc in his back that has caused recurring spasms.
In his own news conference on Monday, Woods said he still didn't know whether he would be able to play.
"For Augusta, it's still a little too soon (to know), to be honest with you," he said, according to CBSSports.com. "That's kind of the frustrating thing about this.
"I had a couple weeks off, was getting treatment and trying to get ready for Augusta. As of right now, it's still too soon. As I said, that's very frustrating."
Mickelson's injury may not be as severe as Woods'. His caddie Jim Mackay said Mickelson withdrew as a precaution.
"He's trying to get ready for Augusta, hitting a lot of drivers, hitting them a little harder and he hit one... and felt a little pain in his side," Mackay told NBC television. "It continued on for a few minutes and he decided he didn't want to take anything to chance relative to what's going on the next couple of weeks."
Do you think Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will be able not only to play in the Masters, but play well? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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