dailyloe.com – Collin Morikawa battled significant mental challenges to post a 2-over 74 in the first round of the 2026 Masters. The golfer is recovering from back spasms that forced his withdrawal from THE PLAYERS Championship last month. Morikawa stated his back no longer hurts physically. He is, however, dealing with debilitating mental scars from the incident.
Morikawa expressed pride in managing his score given the circumstances. He described the round as incredibly difficult in a post-round statement. “Honestly, it’s probably the toughest round I’ve ever played,” an exasperated Morikawa said. He added, “I don’t know.”
His return to competition has been rockier than expected. Morikawa withdrew after just one hole at THE PLAYERS last month. He initially spoke as if he understood the issue and how to react. Nearly a month later, he is still struggling with the injury’s aftermath.
Morikawa clarified he is not currently in physical pain. He remains uncomfortable, with walking proving difficult. He has not felt like his legs are fully under him. His swings are mostly upper body and lack normal power.
His preparation was severely limited ahead of the Masters. Morikawa hit no more than 50 range balls daily before the first round. His swing speed was well below his usual baseline. A significant mental block also persisted.
Morikawa woke up Thursday morning with extreme nerves. “I’ve never felt this nervous, like, in my life,” he said. He noted he has played in majors and other big events before. He attributed the nerves to a lack of trust after the on-course incident.
“I think it’s a trust factor, right?” Morikawa explained. “I think when it happened out on the course at THE PLAYERS, you know, there’s a certain doubt factor.” He questioned whether the issue would recur during the round. “My head gets in the way, and the head can stop so much,” he concluded.
He entered the round with no expectations for his score. Morikawa played only nine holes on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday presented entirely new challenges for him. He was unsure how his body or mind would react.
Morikawa opened his round with six consecutive pars. A bogey on the seventh hole put him over par for the day. He would remain over par for the rest of the round. He dropped another shot with a bogey on the ninth hole.
He then navigated the difficult tenth and eleventh holes in even par. This stretch included a birdie and a bogey. His practice before the tournament revealed deep uncertainty. Morikawa lacked confidence he would even make contact on his Tuesday tee shot.[]
Source: PGA Tour
