Collin Morikawa has revealed the moment that led to his sudden withdrawal from The Players Championship on Thursday. The 29-year-old was one of the favorites to win the PGA Tour’s flagship event but will now sit out the remainder of the tournament after suffering a back injury on his first hole at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, on Thursday.
Morikawa Opens Up On the Moment He Suffered Injury
Morikawa started his opening round on the 10th hole and managed to make a routine par. The two-time major champion had gone through his warm-up without any discomfort, but something suddenly changed moments later while preparing for the next hole. Morikawa began experiencing discomfort while taking a practice swing on the 11th tee box. Speaking after the incident, Morikawa described the exact moment he suffered his back injury.
“I felt fine in warm-up. Like, nothing’s been any signs of back problems. And teed it up on 11, and took one practice swing, and I just knew it was gone. Like I just had the feeling before when it’s happened. And I just, I can’t swing through it. Trust me, I would play if I could. It’s just the worst thing in the world.”
The 29-year-old emerged victorious earlier this year at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and continued and had been in impressive form up to this event, making him one of the pre-tournament favorites. The American finished in a tie for seventh at The Genesis Invitational and fifth place at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Morikawa Frustrated With Latest Back Injury
Morikawa also added that the sensation felt familiar because he has dealt with similar back issues earlier in his career. The 29-year-old admitted that the moment felt frustrating, especially because he had felt perfectly healthy earlier in the day. He said there were no warning signs during practice before the round began.
“I’ve had this stuff before, and been healthy all throughout the year, been moving weight and pushing, going fast. I don’t know, like, before I even took my practice swing, it’s like you had, like a weird, like déjà vu thing. I took the practice swing and immediately knew, like, I just couldn’t get through impact,” Morikawa said. “So at that point called over my trainer, and talked about it with my caddie Mark (Urbanek), and it just sucks. I don’t know how to put it in words.”
Morikawa added that his back still allowed him to move around normally as long as he avoided heavy activity or swinging a golf club. That gave him some hope that the injury might not be too serious, though he admitted it may take some time to fully recover.
Main Photo Credit: © Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
