The 2026 PGA Tour season had plenty of exciting moments for Collin Morikawa. The golfer won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in mid-February. At that point, it looked like the seasoned veteran was primed to have a terrific year. Then, not many weeks after that victory, a calm practice swing at THE PLAYERS Championship changed everything.
The video of Morikawa getting ready to get set on the tee box was hard to watch. As he went through his routine, he quickly grabbed his lower back. Ludvig Aberg and Si Woo Kim watched their peer start to pace in a very rapid manner. Morikawa would then withdraw not too long after.
At the time, he was at the top of the FedExCup Standings. In a recent sit-down interview, Morikawa gave some background as to why this injury was different than anything he has ever experienced.
“The rest of the season after THE PLAYERS everything kind of changed,” Morikawa said. “I truly have never had any trauma, I would say, on the golf course. Everything — I’ve hurt myself, whatever, it’s always been away from the golf course in the gym. So when you hurt yourself on the golf course for a very very light swing, you get freaked out.”
Morikawa Had Nerve-Racking Week In Augusta
Morikawa missed roughly a month before returning for April’s Masters Tournament. He detailed how tough it was that week, even though he finished in the top-10.
“That was probably the most difficult little stretch of golf that I’ve ever had to play,” Morikawa stated. “My hardest tee shot that I had to hit was the Tuesday at the Masters. I’ve never been nervous hitting a shot on a Tuesday. Simply because I didn’t know how my body was going to react; if I was going to be able to hit the ball, tee it up, where it was going to go. Was I going to hurt someone next to me?”
In that moment, it became a time to learn for the seven-time PGA Tour winner. It was a grind getting ready most weeks, but he figured it out.
“Everything with how I kind of go about my business throughout the days and the weeks and these tournaments have changed a lot. Certain shots, I just can’t play, but in that sense, that’s where I have to go and play golf. Like, I can’t keep blaming myself and forcing things.”
It was evident while watching tournaments that Morikawa wasn’t moving around too quickly. However, fans don’t have the full story about what he was actually going through.
“Truly just my team knows, and especially just me and Mark, my caddie, know how difficult this season was. The shots we couldn’t hit, so we had to do something else. The lines we had to take. I’d say the biggest lesson is to be resilient, to grind through the things that feel uncomfortable. Just because you’re uncomfortable doesn’t mean you can’t do it.”
Morikawa Was Battling With His Mind All Season Long
Finally, Morikawa realized that the mental side of the game of golf will always be present. He worked to get over those negative thoughts in his head.
“I think the mind has so much power,” Morikawa noted. “It can push you in the wrong direction sometimes, but you also can overcome that if you just take it slow.”
Morikawa will be competing for the USA during the Presidents Cup, so it’s safe to say he’s feeling better. The offseason does a whole lot of good for many of the world’s top golfers. With that said, Morikawa may benefit the most out of anyone in the next couple of months.
Collin Morikawa Reveals His Secret To Success During Injury-Plagued Season