Hideki Matsuyama may not defend Masters title due to injury?

Hideki Matsuyama made history last spring when he became the first man from Japan to win the Masters tournament and any of golf's major championships. 

It appears the 30-year-old may not be able to defend that crown when the action gets underway at Augusta National Golf Club next Thursday morning. 

According to Mark Schlabach of ESPN, Matsuyama withdrew from the second round of this weekend's Valero Texas Open after he played only nine holes on Friday due to a neck injury. As Schlabach noted, a lingering back issue forced Matsuyama to pull out of the Players Championship last month. 

"I've been receiving a lot of treatment, getting prepared," Matsuyama said through an interpreter while speaking with reporters about his health back on March 22. "I'll do my best to prepare well so I can defend my title at Augusta. ... I haven't been able to practice as much as I'd like, but what I have been doing, I feel like I'm on the right track. Hopefully, I can find that same form that I started the year out with."

Shortly after his historic win last year, Matsuyama received the Japan Prime Minister's Award, and he's set to host the Champions Dinner ahead of the Masters next week. His status for the tournament is very much in question, but he previously notched victories this season at the Zozo Championship this past October and then at the Sony Open in Hawaii in mid-January. 

According to The Associated Press (h/t Sports Illustrated), Matsuyama is now tied with K.J. Choi for most tour victories by an Asian-born player at eight.