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By Helen Ross
PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents

AKRON, Ohio -- Jim Furyk, the No. 2-ranked player in the world, withdrew from the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational Thursday morning after aggravating an injury to his upper back and rib area while practicing at Firestone Country Club earlier in the week.

Jim Furyk won the Canadian Open on Sunday. (WireImage)

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Furyk's injury now casts doubt on the PGA Championship at Southern Hills next week, as well. He's played well at the majors this year --- tying for 13th at the Masters, second at the U.S. Open and 12th at the Open Championship.

Furyk had come to Firestone with considerable momentum after successfully defending his title at the Canadian Open presented by Franklin Templeton Investments, closing with a 64 on Sunday. He has seven other top-10 finishes this year --- not to mention six top-10s at the Bridgestone Invitational, including runner-up to Tiger Woods in 2001 after a thrilling seven-hole playoff.

On Wednesday morning, Furyk had said the Bridgestone Invitational was "in my top five events. I love the golf course and getting the chance to come here. But obviously the first thing is getting healthy."

Furyk said he had gone through all his irons and was just starting to hit his driver when he made a swing that caused his back to tighten up. He immediately stopped hitting balls and went to the physical therapy trailer to get treatment.

"But ... Tuesday evening it was very tight and relatively painful," Furyk said. "I'm very stiff right now, don't have a lot of movement in my upper back and then into my neck because of the connection."

Furyk injured his back prior to last year's U.S. Open at Winged Foot, where he also tied for second. The injuries have affected different sides of his back and opposite parts of the swing, though.

"It was a totally different kind of set of circumstances," Furyk said. "There I kind of snapped my head back trying to take some aspirin and just kind of pinched something in my neck. ...

"It may be related, but the symptoms are totally different, totally different side. There I was having a hard time turning to the right and now I'm having a hard time turning to the left. It seems to be relatively independent of the other."