Trending Now - Morikawa Exits Players Championship; Rory Faces Challenges

WHO:

Collin Morikawa, two-time major champion and the No. 4 player in the world

Ryan Fox, another player who withdrew from The Players Championship

Collin Morikawa, two-time major champion and the No. 4 player in the world

Ryan Fox, another player who withdrew from The Players Championship

WHAT:

Morikawa made par on the 10th hole before withdrawing after one hole.

Morikawa stated, “I felt fine in warm-up. Like no signs of back problems. And teed it up on 11, and took one practice swing, and I just knew it was gone.”

Morikawa mentioned, “It’s just the worst thing in the world.”

Morikawa had a strong start to the 2026 season, making four of five cuts and winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February 2026.

Morikawa finished in fifth place at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on March 5th, 2026, marking his third top-10 finish of the season.

Morikawa made par on the 10th hole before withdrawing after one hole.

Morikawa stated, “Honestly, (on the) first hole (I) felt great, hit two great shots, hit a great putt.”

Morikawa mentioned, “It’s just frustrating, because I don’t know what caused it. I went through all the warmups (and) felt fine. It’s awful. I feel terrible.”

Morikawa is focusing on being ready for the Masters.

Collin Morikawa withdrew from The Players Championship after playing only one hole due to pain in his lower back

Morikawa took a practice swing on the par-5 11th hole and immediately felt pain, leading to his withdrawal

Morikawa stated, “I felt fine in warm-up. Nothing’s been any signs of back problems,” and “I just knew it was gone. I just had the feeling before when it’s happened.”

Morikawa had a win at Pebble Beach earlier in 2026, ending a 28-month winless streak

Morikawa had three top-10 finishes this season, including a tie for fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational the week prior

WHERE:

The Players Championship, TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

WHEN:

Morikawa withdrew on Thursday, March 12th, 2026

Morikawa won at Pebble Beach earlier in 2026

Morikawa had lingering back issues in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics and in 2023, when he withdrew from the Memorial tournament

WHY:

Morikawa experienced pain in his lower back after a practice swing, which led to his withdrawal from the tournament

Morikawa mentioned he had been working on getting his body stronger during the offseason

HOW:

Morikawa called over his trainer and discussed the situation with his caddie Mark Urbanek after feeling pain.

Morikawa consulted his trainer after feeling pain and was carted off the golf course to officially withdraw from the tournament

Morikawa described the sensation as a “weird, like deja vu thing” when he felt the pain during the practice swing

(UPDATED March 13, 2026 01:24 UTC)

In a surprising turn at The Players Championship, Collin Morikawa, the two-time major champion and No. 4 player in the world, withdrew after just one hole, despite having a strong start to the season. After making par on the 10th hole, Morikawa expressed his frustration, saying, “It’s just the worst thing in the world,” as he felt pain during a practice swing on the 11th. Ryan Fox also withdrew from the tournament, while Morikawa had previously shown promise this season, finishing fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational just last week.

(UPDATED March 12, 2026 21:07 UTC)

In a surprising turn of events, golfer Collin Morikawa made par on the 10th hole before withdrawing after just one hole due to pain. He expressed his frustration, saying he felt great initially and went through all his warmups without issues, but now he's focused on being ready for the upcoming Masters. Morikawa called over his trainer and discussed the situation with his caddie, Mark Urbanek, as he navigated this unexpected setback.

(UPDATED March 12, 2026 19:20 UTC)

Collin Morikawa, the two-time major champion and currently ranked fourth in the world, withdrew from The Players Championship on Thursday after experiencing pain in his lower back just one hole into his round. He described the moment as a "weird, like deja vu thing," noting that he felt fine during warm-up and had been working on strengthening his body during the offseason. Morikawa's withdrawal comes after a recent win at Pebble Beach earlier this year and three top-10 finishes this season, including a tie for fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week.