Snedeker Won't Play in Match Play Championship


Brandt Snedeker has withdrawn from the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, citing soreness in his ribs. The 32-year-old Nashville native would have been one of the four top seeds in the $8.75 million event, which starts February 20 at the Golf Club at Dove Mountain near Tucson.

Coming off a win in last week's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Snedeker, the reigning FedEx Cup champion, has forged a sizable lead in the 2013 FedEx Cup points' standings and jumped from sixth to fourth in the world golf ranking off his victory at Pebble Beach. His official earnings of $2,859,920 are nearly $1.7 million more than second-place Phil Mickelson.

According to his management company, Crown Sports, Snedeker has been experiencing rib soreness since the Humana Challenge in mid-January. After getting treatment by his personal trainer, Randy Myers, Snedeker got rolling in the next two tournaments, both second-place finishes in the Farmers Insurance Open and Waste Management Phoenix Open, before closing with a 7-under 65 Sunday at Pebble Beach Golf Links to win the AT&T by two strokes.

After shooting a 66 in the AT&T's first round on the par-70 Shore course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Snedeker told PGA Tour media officials the rib soreness returned and he received more treatment.

After accepting the winner's check for $1.152 million on Sunday, he made no mention in his post-round interview about the ribs, but noted he was "exhausted" and planned to travel to Hawaii with his family and not play in this week's Northern Trust Open in Southern California.

It's uncertain when Snedeker will return to action. This is the second straight year when he had to back off his tournament schedule due to injury. Last May he pulled out of the Memorial due to a hip problem, and took four weeks off before returning to competition.

Mickelson has already withdrawn from the Match Play Championship - open to the top-64 players in the world - and was replaced by No. 65 Shane Lowry. No. 66 Fredrick Jacobson will take Snedeker's place in the first World Golf Championships event of the year.

Mickelson withdrew because his kids are out of school next week and he'll be going on a family vacation.