Collin Morikawa in Masters 2026: Two-time major champion 'taking it day by day' in return from back injury

Morikawa has not completed a full tournament in over a month in the build up to the first major of the season

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Collin Morikawa provided an update on his back injury Monday at Augusta National Golf Club as the two-time major champion prepares for the first major championship of the season. Out of the spotlight since his withdrawal from The Players Championship last month, Morikawa admitted his body is not necessarily where he wants it to be and that his limitations may force him to employ a new game plan at the 2026 Masters.

"The honest truth is I'm taking it day by day," Morikawa said. "It's not exactly where I want to be, and it's unfortunate, but that's just the body, and I can't push it. It's been a little bit of a mental battle just trying to trust with where it's at. The back actually feels fine. It's just other parts of the body not cooperating a little bit how I want."

Morikawa was forced to withdraw just one hole into his Players Championship last month when a practice swing on his second hole caused discomfort in his back. he entered the week at TPC Sawgrass as one of the favorites after finishing 5th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and winning at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

The 29-year-old was listed in the field for last week's Texas Open when the PGA Tour released the field on Friday before the tournament, though Morikawa ultimately decided not to tee it up at TPC San Antonio. Despite not participating in the event, the American insisted he was still able to practice ahead of this week.

"I've been hitting balls for the past week, so I ended up pulling out of Valero last week and was able to hit balls and continue to play," Morikawa said. "But there's a comfort level, and this isn't a place where you want to be uncomfortable, but sometimes you've got to find other ways to get around a golf course. 

"So I'm kind of making a different game plan than I think I've come up with in the past … some shots that you might be able to hit in the past, you might not be able to hit right now. But yeah, it's a work in progress. But each day [I'm] just staying positive, trying to get through it.

Morikawa was arguably one of the most confident players in the world following the Arnold Palmer Invitational, making contention in this year's Masters a likelihood before this setback. Since his tournament debut in the November Masters, Morikawa has five top 20 finishes in five appearances, including a top five in 2022 and a podium finish in 2024 when he played in the final pairing alongside eventual winner, Scottie Scheffler.

"It's frustrating, but at the same time, I can't do anything stupid and push my body in a way it doesn't want to do," Morikawa said. "What's amazing is chipping and putting still feel great. The putter feels amazing. Just got to be able to get the ball there, which like the opposite of how I've been my entire career. It's just part of it. However and whenever I get out of this little back stuff and body stuff, just go out and trust the things that I've been doing, and hopefully they click again."