Collin Morikawa faces a significant physical obstacle before the 2026 Masters at Augusta National. The two-time major winner is currently navigating with his back injury, which is seriously hindering his usual preparation routine.

The golfer admitted that his body is healing gradually but said that, at the moment, he cannot say his physical condition is satisfactory. Morikawa is currently having a lot of difficulty trusting his swing.

"The back actually feels fine. It's just other parts of the body not cooperating a little bit how I want," Morikawa said.

This candid admission came during a brief media interaction on April 6, 2026, in which Morikawa addressed his health following a week of speculation. The golfer had to withdraw from his scheduled event last week to focus on rehabilitation and hitting balls.

One should note that Morikawa's injury turned out to be rather complicated, as it occurred during a swing rather than in a training room. He stressed that recovery is very difficult due to the high level of unpredictability.

Nevertheless, even though Morikawa has suffered a great deal of pain during this time, he went through several MRIs to find out whether there was a serious structural injury. Luckily, the MRI did not show anything more critical than he had experienced before.

Adapting the Game Plan Under Pressure

However, Morikawa is forced to come up with another plan, one that is different from what he has done for many years. He admitted he could no longer execute some shots he had previously been able to perform.

"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," Morikawa pointed out.

In an unexpected turn of events, Morikawa expressed that despite struggles in his swing, his chipping and putting were on point. He added that it was contrary to everything that happened to him throughout his career.

"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," he said.

He assured that, even if he is having difficulty with his swing, he would remain positive and believe his body would soon return to normal. The golf world will now watch to see whether his expertise in the short game carries him through the week.

Read more at Club Golf!

Written by

Abhishek Sharma

Edited by

Siddharth Rawat