The back injury that Collin Morikawa sustained just four weeks before The Masters could not have come at a worse time.
Morikawa started the year off superbly well, with one win and two top-seven finishes in his first five events.
As a result of his fine form, the 29-year-old from Los Angeles was heavily tipped to win The Masters.
However, Morikawa‘s preparation ahead of Augusta National has been far from ideal, after he sustained a back injury at The Players Championship in mid-March.
As a result of his back problem, Morikawa has not been able to warm up like he usually would ahead of The Masters.
The two-time major champion would have fancied his chances of winning The Masters after his excellent start to the 2026 season.
However, it seems like he won’t be able to contend this year due to his back.
Collin Morikawa provides fitness update after hardest round of his life on day one at The Masters
The seven-time PGA Tour winner addressed the media after his opening round at Augusta National.
Morikawa was asked how his back felt out on the course during his opening round 74 on Thursday.
“Honestly it’s probably the toughest round I’ve ever played,“ he admitted.
“I don’t know. I kind of want to watch my swings, and I kind of don’t. I mean, every year the Masters is amazing, because you can go and watch every shot you hit. You know, I’m just fighting. Like, it’s a battle.
“I don’t think I’ve been able to get comfortable out there and trusting the entire body. It’s not painful, but it’s not easy. I think walking has been the hardest part.
“Yeah, I’m just one shot at a time. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever woken up this nervous before a first round or before any round, honestly. So I’m proud of the way things kind of played out. You know, yeah, the expectations are kind of thrown out the window right now.
“I mean, it all started when I woke up. I’ve never felt this nervous, like, in my life. I’ve played in majors. I’ve played in other events. I think it’s a trust factor, right? I think when it happened out on the course at The Players, you know, there’s a certain doubt factor of, like, is this going to happen, is this not?
“I’ve been hitting balls for the past week and a half, but not comfortably. By that, it’s just more like my head gets in the way, and the head can stop so much. When I teed it up on Tuesday on one, I mean, I honestly didn’t know if I was going to make contact. Warmup felt fine, everything.
“I’m probably the slowest out there out of this entire field, but I’m just trying to put one foot in front of the other and kind of see how it all plays out.“
What Collin Morikawa learned about himself on day one of The Masters
The 29-year-old was asked what he learned about himself during day one of The Masters.
“That the mind is a powerful, powerful thing,“ he responded.
“It can lead any the wrong direction sometimes, and it can lead you in the right direction. Trust me, it started immediately when I woke up.
“I’ve been nervous here and there throughout the practice rounds, but you never know what to expect. I slept great, and you wake up, and you are just — like, I can feel, you know, just the mind racing. You have to just be able to calm yourself down.
“It was a long day out there. I mean, I don’t know how long we were out there, but I was out there twice the amount of time just because of the things I had to keep telling myself throughout the round.“
He was also asked whether there was a genuine chance that he could withdraw this week.
“Yeah, I mean, I played nine on Tuesday. I played nine on Wednesday. You know, I chipped on Monday,“ Morikawa admitted.
“Out of all the events, probably not the one I want to skip.
“You never know if you’re going to find some luck and be able to figure something out. So we were able to grind it out today, and hopefully we can grind it out for three more.“
