Collin Morikawa Withdraws from The Players Championship 2026 Due to Back Injury

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - World-class golfer Collin Morikawa surprisingly announced his withdrawal from the prestigious 2026 The Players Championship after he felt serious back discomfort.

The incident happened on Thursday, March 12, 2026, just after completing his first hole of the tournament.

The injury forced Morikawa, who was one of the favorites to win, to withdraw early.

This withdrawal was certainly a major blow for the American golfer, considering he was in peak form with three consecutive top-10 finishes.

He had even recently won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Despite feeling "great" on the first hole and showing no prior signs of trouble, a practice swing on the 11th tee triggered the injury.

Morikawa immediately clutched his back, indicating something was wrong.

The incident that led to Collin Morikawa's withdrawal began while he was taking a practice swing on the 11th tee, his second hole on Thursday.

Morikawa felt sharp discomfort in his lower back.

He immediately held his back and appeared to be hunched over in pain, indicating the severity of the injury.

Prior to the incident, Morikawa had stated that he felt in good shape during the warm-up and felt no signs of back problems.

In fact, on the first hole, he felt "great" and hit two good shots and a solid putt.

Following the fatal practice swing, Morikawa quickly realized he could not continue his swing and immediately called his coach to consult about his condition.

After discussing it with his loyal caddie, Mark Urbanek, the difficult decision to withdraw from the tournament was made, leaving Morikawa deeply frustrated at not knowing the exact cause of the injury.

Collin Morikawa, born on February 6, 1997, in Los Angeles, California, USA, is now 29 years old.

Standing 175 cm tall and weighing 73 kg, the golfer has become a household name in the professional golf world since turning pro in 2019.

He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Business Administration.

Collin Morikawa's professional career on the PGA Tour has been quite impressive, with a total of seven wins.

These include the 2020 PGA Championship and The Open Championship in 2021, two prestigious major titles.

His recent victory at the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am also confirmed his dominance on the circuit.

Morikawa had an impressive start to his career on the PGA Tour, making 22 consecutive cuts.

This record placed him second only to legend Tiger Woods, who made 25 consecutive cuts.

His highest ranking was world No. 2 on October 24, 2021.

Furthermore, Collin Morikawa also became the first American to win the Race to Dubai on the European Tour in 2021.

This accolade further solidified his standing as one of the most talented golfers of his generation, with total career PGA Tour earnings exceeding $47 million.

• Professional Wins: 8 professional wins, including 7 on the PGA Tour and 4 on the European Tour.
• Major Championships: 2 major wins, the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open Championship.
• 2020 PGA Championship: Won his first major title at age 23, in his second major appearance, with a final-round 64.
• 2021 Open Championship: Became the first player since Bobby Jones (1926) to win two majors in eight or fewer appearances, and the first player to win two different majors in his debut appearances.
• Early Career Record: Began his PGA Tour career with 22 consecutive cuts, the second-longest such streak after Tiger Woods.
• Other Honors: First American to win the Race to Dubai on the European Tour, and winner of the 2021 European Tour Race to Dubai.
• Amateur Career: Played golf at the University of California, Berkeley (2015-2019), winning five times, and was the top-ranked golfer in the World Amateur Golf Rankings in May 2018.