Collin Morikawa will be desperately hoping that his season is not defined by the moment he took a practice swing on his second hole of the day on Thursday at The Players Championship.
Collin Morikawa went into the opening round of The Players as one of the overwhelming favourites to win at TPC Sawgrass. There is an argument that no one on the PGA Tour is in better form right now than the 29-year-old.
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Morikawa won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for his first victory in well over two years. He followed that with top 10 finishes at both the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Everything seemed to be aligning for Morikawa to win at TPC Sawgrass.
Collin Morikawa’s withdrawal from The Players seems particularly crushing given his recent form
Morikawa had to settle for an opening par after his birdie putt just slid by the hole. That would prove to be his final hole of the week, with Morikawa leaving the 11th tee immediately after taking a practice swing.
It was soon confirmed that the world number four had withdrawn due to a back issue.
Morikawa admitted that he was devastated to have to withdraw from the event.
“I just knew it was gone. I just had the feeling before when it’s happened. 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,” he said.
Why Collin Morikawa was a favourite to win at TPC Sawgrass
Ironically, it was partially because of a back injury that Morikawa looked ideally placed to secure his biggest victory since The Open Championship in 2021.
Rory McIlroy withdrew at Bay Hill last week due to an injury that he sustained in the warm up before the third round.
With Scottie Scheffler not looking like himself in recent weeks, there was an argument that Morikawa was playing the best golf of anyone on the planet right now.
Surely, only Jon Rahm could argue with that.
With Sawgrass a golf course that penalises inaccuracy, there seemed to be a perfect opportunity for Morikawa to win.
He began the week ninth on the PGA Tour for driving accuracy, while he was fifth for strokes gained approach. With his putting improving in recent weeks, it appeared that he had all of the tools to win.
Obviously, so much can happen over 72 holes. But it seemed inevitable that Morikawa would put himself in the mix.
And had he won, he would have been the second player in as many years to win at Pebble Beach and Sawgrass. Of course, Rory McIlroy went on to win The Masters in April.
Much will depend on how serious Morikawa’s injury proves to be. But should he replicate his 2025 form from here over the remainder of the season, he can look forward to just one more top 10.
If that is the case, he will find it almost impossible not to wonder what could have been.
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