Collin Morikawa’s campaign at The Players Championship ended almost as soon as it began after the American was forced to withdraw early in his opening round.
The two-time major champion had shown no signs of trouble during his warm-up ahead of the tournament.
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However, Morikawa quickly realised something was wrong once he stepped onto the course.
Speaking afterwards, the American revealed the moment he knew he could not continue, which brought a sudden end to his participation.
Collin Morikawa explains why he withdrew from The Players Championship
Morikawa said there had been no warning signs during his preparations before the round began.
But after stepping onto the 11th tee (his second hole), he immediately realised something was wrong after taking a practice swing.
“I felt fine in warm-up,” he said. “Like there have been no signs of back problems. And teed it up on 11, and took one practice swing, and I just knew it was gone. Like I just had the feeling before when it happened.
Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
“And I just, I can’t swing through it. Trust me, I would play if I could. It’s just the worst thing in the world.”
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The issue meant Morikawa was unable to continue and was forced to withdraw almost immediately after starting his round.
Collin Morikawa admits the back issue has happened before
Morikawa also revealed it was not the first time he had experienced the problem, suggesting the injury may be something he has dealt with previously.
“Yeah, I’ve had this stuff before, and been healthy all throughout the year, been moving weight and pushing, going fast,” he added.
“I don’t know, like, before I even took my practice swing, it’s like you had, like a weird, like deja vu thing. I took the practice swing and immediately knew, like, I just couldn’t get through impact.
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“So at that point called over my trainer, and talked about it with my caddie Mark, and it just sucks. I don’t know how to put it in words.”
The revelation will raise concerns about Morikawa’s fitness as the PGA Tour season continues, particularly with the four major championships still to come.
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