Collin Morikawa, a surprise withdrawal during the Players Championship last week, said his back is improving and expects to be at full strength soon, welcomed news for the world No. 6 with the Masters less than a month away.
The two-time major winner was forced to exit the Players after playing just one hole in his opening round. He took a full-speed practice swing on the 11th tee, backed off and then withdrew, later saying his exit was “just the worst thing in the world.”
According to ESPN’s Marty Smith, Morikawa said his back is improving every day and the goal now is to avoid any issues going forward.
“My team and I are running a series of tests to make sure we protect the area and continuously get stronger to make sure things like this never happen again,” Morikawa said, according to Smith.
Smith shared Morikawa’s comments during the TGL semifinals between Atlanta and Los Angeles on Tuesday night. Morikawa is part of the L.A. team but was unable to play.
Morikawa was considered a favorite to win the Players thanks to some strong form to start 2026, including three top-10 finishes and a victory at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
He had some lingering back issues in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics and in 2023, forcing him to withdraw from the Memorial tournament that year.
