Paul Casey Concedes Second-Consecutive WGC Match

Following on from his concession of the opening match against Corey Conners, Casey was forced to withdraw from his second round game with Alex Noren, as the Englishman seems to be still struggling with back spasms.

Having withdrawn on Wednesday, the 44-year-old had announced that he was going to assess the extent of the injury before deciding whether to tee it up against the Swede. 

However, on Thursday morning, according to social media, it is believed that Casey waited until the last second to withdraw, with Noren already striking his tee shot on the first before making it official. As a result, the Swede carried on the round by himself, with Noren using his time productively as he practises for his third and final round-robin game on Friday. 

In an Instagram post after day one, Casey wrote: "Frustrating I had to concede today's match shortly after it began. Back pain made it impossible to walk the course or swing a club. I couldn't even get the tee in the ground on the 2nd tee. I've been receiving treatment all day today and I'm hoping it's okay to go tomorrow. Thanks for all the messages. Fingers crossed."

It's a worrying time for Casey, who was forced to withdraw before the first round of the Valspar Championship last week, with many believing much needed rest was required after the continuous delays at TPC Sawgrass. 

At TPC Sawgrass, Casey did finish in third position and just two shots behind the eventual winner, Cameron Smith. However, with a busy period of golf underway, as well as the Masters in a matter of weeks, it is uncertain how severe the injuries are and whether he will partake in his final match on Friday against Louis Oosthuizen.