Collin Morikawa is back in action this week at Aronimink as he looks to win the second PGA Championship of his career.
Morikawa made a fabulous start to the 2026 PGA Tour season and returned to the winners’ circle at Pebble Beach in February after a two-and-a-half year hiatus.
However, disaster struck for the 29-year-old from Los Angeles just a few weeks after that win.
Collin Morikawa injured his back on the second hole of his first round at The Players Championship in March.
The two-time major champion made a return to action at The Masters one month later despite having not fully recovered from his back issue.
Amazingly, though, he finished in a tie for seventh at Augusta National before recording a T-4 finish at the RBC Heritage one week later.
Now the Californian will be hopeful of adding another major trophy to his haul at the PGA Championship this week.
Collin Morikawa provides injury update ahead of the PGA Championship
The 29-year-old addressed the media at Aronimink on Tuesday.
Morikawa pulled out of the Truist ahead of the PGA Championship, so it was no surprise when he was asked about the state of play regarding his back.
He responded when asked how he’s feeling physically ahead of the PGA Championship this week.
“Overall, still kind of dealing with some back stuff, honestly,“ Morikawa admitted.
“Like, I wish I was 100 percent healthy. The body doesn’t feel bad, just it’s uncomfortable, and there’s a trust factor I’m kind of having to deal with, which is — I’ve never had to deal with it.
“I can’t imagine wanting anyone to deal with it because it’s just a very weird feeling of not trusting the body and yet knowing that things are going to be okay. So it’s just taking it day by day, doing what I need to do.
“Then go out, look, it’s four days of golf, one at a time, and I’m going to find a way to hopefully play some great golf starting Thursday.“
Unfortunately for Morikawa, he has clearly reached a point now where his problem is almost certainly psychological.
Collin Morikawa on the lessons he’s learned since his back injury
Morikawa responded when asked by one reporter whether there is a lesson to be learned from the way he has played since suffering the back injury at TPC Sawgrass in March.
“Yeah, there is,“ he admitted.
“I think certain golf courses allow for that. Weirdly, like Augusta we think of a big hitter’s golf course, a big golf course.
“But there are a lot of slopes, so I can use a lot of slope in that way. With the shot shaping, I just was so accepting of how things are going to go, and it’s so hard to do that, I think even in life, is just accepting that’s just the nature of it.
“I’ve been able to take that into it. It will be interesting to see whether I get frustrated or not considering that the body feels a little bit better.
“I hope to take that mentality I had at Augusta and just continue that into the rest of the year, because that’s a mentality I think the best have. That’s how, for me at least, I feel like I’m going to play great golf.“
