Collin Morikawa’s Players Championship Cut Short by Injury

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Collin Morikawa’s participation in the Players Championship was abruptly halted during Thursday’s opening round at TPC Sawgrass. He hurt his hip while practicing his swing on the second hole.

After making par on the 10th hole, which was the only hole he completed, Morikawa showed clear discomfort as he approached the tee box for the 11th hole, prompting his withdrawal.

He was taken off the course in a cart, leaving his playing partners, Ludwig Aberg and Siwoo Kim, to finish the round without him.

Morikawa shared, “I felt good in the warm-up.” He continued, “Honestly, on the first hole, I felt great—hit two solid shots, made a nice putt. But by the time I got to the 11th, I practiced my swing once and it was like everything just hit me at once. That’s when I knew something was off.”

“I couldn’t swing properly. Believe me, if I could have continued, I would have. It’s just the worst feeling,” he expressed.

As one of the favorites for the tournament—having recently won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and ranking well at the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational—this was a tough break for Morikawa.

He showed visible disappointment but noted, “This has happened before. There was a strange sense of déjà vu before I even practiced my swing. When I realized I was struggling, I quickly called my trainer and talked to my caddy, Mark (Urbanek). It’s just frustrating.”

Morikawa added, “I really don’t know what caused it. I did all my warm-ups and felt fine beforehand. It sucks. I feel terrible.”

Moving forward, Morikawa will focus on his health in anticipation of next month’s Masters. He remarked, “You kind of figure out what to do, but it takes a while to get back.”