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PGA Tour winner Collin Morikawa played just one hole at The Players Championship after withdrawing due to injury on Thursday.
Morikawa, 29, made par on the 10th hole, the only hole he would play, before surprisingly injuring his back on a practice swing.
“I felt good in the warmup,” Morikawa said, according to the New York Post. “Like there were no signs of back problems. Honestly, (on the) first hole (I felt great, I hit two great shots, I made a great putt. I did it, nothing felt wrong. () I did it on the 11th and I took a practice swing and I knew it was gone. It all hit me in a second, where I was like, ‘Something doesn’t feel right.'”
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Collin Morikawa watches the tee box on the 10th hole during the first round of THE 2026 THE PLAYERS Championship at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, on March 12, 2026. (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
“I took a practice swing and there I was, like I couldn’t swing. Believe me, I would play if I could. It’s just the worst thing in the world.”
The world’s fourth-ranked golfer was taken away in a cart. Morikawa’s teammates Ludvig Åberg and Si Woo Kim played the rest of the round as a pair.
The Los Angeles native said he’s not sure what caused the injury.
CURRENT MASTERS CHAMPION RORY MCILROY WITHDRAWS FROM PGA EVENT 1 MONTH AHEAD OF GREEN JACKET DEFENSE
Collin Morikawa tees off on the 10th hole during the first round of THE PLAYERS 2026 Championship at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, on March 12, 2026. (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
“Before I even practiced my swing, it was like you had this weird déjà vu,” he said. “I took the practice swing and immediately knew I couldn’t overcome the impact. At that point, I called my coach and talked to my caddy Mark (Urbanek) about it. It just sucked.
“It’s just frustrating, because I don’t know what caused it. I went through all the warmups (and) I felt good. It’s horrible. I feel terrible.”
Morikawa said he’s “had this before” and is focusing on being ready for the Masters.
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Collin Morikawa prepares for a shot with his caddy, Mark Urbanek, on the 10th hole during the first round of THE 2026 THE PLAYERS Championship at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, on March 12, 2026. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Morikawa is off to a strong start to the 2026 season, making four of five cuts and winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am last month.
He finished fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, marking his third top-10 finish of the season.
