22H AGO
Collin Morikawa hits his second shot on No. 9 during the first round of the 2026 Masters. (David Cannon/Getty Images)
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Written by Paul Hodowanic
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Collin Morikawa wasn’t confident he would make contact with his tee shot when he started his Tuesday practice round. That’s how far down the mental rabbit hole Morikawa has fallen as he continues to recover from the aftereffects of back spasms that pulled him out of THE PLAYERS Championship last month. Morikawa said Thursday that his back no longer hurts, but the spasms left debilitating mental scars – not physical ones – that he’s still trying to overcome.
That he managed a 2-over 74 at the first round of the Masters was something he could be proud of.
“Honestly, it’s probably the toughest round I’ve ever played,” an exasperated Morikawa said afterward. “I don’t know.”
Morikawa’s return to competitive golf has undergone more lumps than he anticipated. When he withdrew from THE PLAYERS after just one hole of his first round, he spoke as if he understood the issue. He said he had experienced it before and knew how to react. Nearly a month out from the injury,
Morikawa is still struggling, painting an unflattering picture of the ailment’s long tail.
To be clear: Morikawa isn’t in pain, but he’s still uncomfortable. Walking is difficult, and he has yet to feel like his legs are fully under him. As a result, the swings he is taking are mostly upper body and lack his normal power. He didn’t hit more than 50 range balls per day in the lead-up to the first round and was well below his baseline of speed when he did. Then there’s the mental block that he has yet to free himself from. Morikawa said he woke up Thursday morning with more nerves than he’s ever felt before a round of golf.
“I’ve never felt this nervous, like, in my life,” he said. “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? … My head gets in the way, and the head can stop so much.”
Morikawa had no idea what he might shoot. He played nine holes on Tuesday and Wednesday, but Thursday brought new challenges. He wasn’t sure how his body or head would react. He opened with six straight pars before a bogey on the seventh put him over par, where he would stay the rest of the day. He dropped another shot at the ninth, before playing the difficult duo of 10 and 11 in even par (birdie-bogey). He tried to turn the momentum with a birdie at the 13th but followed it with another bogey that dropped him back to 2-over.
“The mind is a powerful, powerful thing,” Morikawa said. “It can lead (in) the wrong direction sometimes, and it can lead you in the right direction.”
Morikawa’s hoping for the latter for three more rounds, though he will need a solid round Friday to avoid an early exit.
“You never know if you’re going to find some luck and be able to figure something out,” Morikawa said.
