Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida - Collin Morikawa, the world number four, withdrew from the first round of the 2026 Players Championship after playing just one hole due to a back injury on March 12, 2026.[1][2]

Morikawa, a 29-year-old American from Las Vegas, made par on the par-4 10th hole at TPC Sawgrass' Stadium Course before stopping on the 11th tee. The injury occurred during a practice swing.[1][2][3]

"I felt fine in warm-up. Like nothing’s been any signs of back problems. Honestly, (on the) first hole (I) felt great," Morikawa said. "Teed it up on 11 and took one practice swing and I just knew it was gone."[2][3]

Morikawa's playing partners, Sweden's Ludvig Åberg and South Korea's Si Woo Kim, continued as a twosome. He was transported from the course by cart.[1][2]

The two-time major champion - winner of the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 Open Championship - had won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February 2026 and finished fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational the previous week.[1][4]

Morikawa, who has experienced similar back issues previously, said he was focusing on recovery ahead of the Masters Tournament, scheduled for April 10-13, 2026, at Augusta National.[2][3][5]

The Players Championship, the PGA Tour's flagship non-major event held annually at the 7,275-yard Stadium Course designed by Pete Dye, features a $25 million purse.[1][5]

Sources

1. PGA Tour. "The Players Championship 2026: First Round Notes and Withdrawals." March 12, 2026. https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/2026/the-players-championship/R2026024/first-round-notes
2. New York Post. "Collin Morikawa withdraws from Players Championship after back injury on practice swing." March 12, 2026. https://nypost.com/2026/03/12/sports/collin-morikawa-withdraws-players-championship-back-injury/
3. ESPN. "Morikawa (back) WD after 1 hole at Players Championship." March 12, 2026. https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/39751234/collin-morikawa-withdraws-players-championship-back-injury
4. PGA Tour. "2026 Season Stats: Collin Morikawa." Accessed March 12, 2026. https://www.pgatour.com/player/46717/collin-morikawa/2026
5. Masters Tournament. "2026 Tournament Schedule." Accessed March 12, 2026. https://www.masters.com/en_US/tournament/index.html