Justin Thomas says what his plans for returning to the PGA Tour are after undergoing back surgery

Add as preferred source on Google

Justin Thomas will miss a chunk of the PGA Tour season after confirming he has undergone surgery to cure a nagging back problem.

Thomas, who came back to form in 2025 and won the RBC Heritage before making the Ryder Cup squad, was one of a number of Americans looking forward to a big 2026.

However, the two-time major winner has now confirmed via his social media accounts that he has undergone a microdiscectomy to help heal a disc problem in his back.

• READ MORE: Phil Mickelson reacts on social media as the PGA Tour’s 2024 finances are released

Naturally, this means Thomas will miss time on the PGA Tour and also the upcoming TGL events.

Interestingly though, Thomas left a clue to when he could be back and it seems, for now, he’s not even putting a time frame on things.

Justin Thomas shares injury update and when he plans to return

It’s always grim to read one of the best and most popular PGA Tour players out there is injured.

For Justin Thomas, it has come at a time when many would suggest he’d just found something like his best as well, which further hardens the blow.

Nevertheless, Thomas is confident his surgery has worked and he’s looking to the long-term for his career.

However, right now, he is refusing to put a timescale on just when he’ll be back in action.

“Life update – I’ve had some nagging hip pain for a handful of months and after some time off and worsening symptoms, an MRI showed I had a disc problem that needed to be treated.

“I had a successful microdiscectomy performed yesterday at Hospital for Special Surgery in NY and have already been released from the hospital. I’m so grateful to the doctors and staff there for all their hard work and support.

“My next few weeks will be a lot of resting before the rehab process begins. I have a great team behind me who I fully trust to get me back to a better place than I was before!

“Before you ask, I’m not putting any tournament on the calendar or specific time for returning. While I will miss some events in the beginning of 2026, I want to be very smart and patient in letting my disc fully heal so it isn’t an issue again. I’m very lucky that the game of golf allows us to play at a high level for a long time, and that’s what I plan on doing – this procedure will allow me to do that injury free in the future. Can’t wait to see y’all back out there.”

• READ MORE: Rory McIlroy’s terrible ball-striking round in Dubai proves why he can overtake Scottie Scheffler in 2026

Justin Thomas will be wary of his good friend Tiger Woods’ issues

Having back problems can be a nightmare for anyone, in any walk of life.

Having back problems if you’re a professional golfer, though, can be even more debilitating.

Clearly, Thomas has taken a big decision here to act early and try and put a preventative measure in place rather than suffer more months of pain before then deciding enough is enough.

Of course, Thomas is great friends with Tiger Woods and we all know the injury issues he has suffered with his back over the years. The two will have no doubt discussed something here and really, Thomas deserves praise for taking action.

Still, it is a blow for both him and the PGA Tour, who lose one of their best players and main attractions for a number of months at least.

Hopefully, this sorts it for Thomas once and for all and when he does return, he can hopefully get back to his best pretty quickly.