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Collin Morikawa hits his second shot on No. 9 through the first round of the 2026 Masters. (David Cannon/Getty Images)
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Written by Paul Hodowanic
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Collin Morikawa wasn’t assured he would make contact along with his tee shot when he began his Tuesday observe round. That’s how far down the mental rabbit gap Morikawa has fallen as he continues to recuperate from the aftereffects of again spasms that pulled him out of THE PLAYERS Championship final month. Morikawa mentioned Thursday that his again not hurts, however the spasms left debilitating mental scars – not bodily ones – that he’s nonetheless making an attempt to beat.
That he managed a 2-over 74 on the first round of the Masters was one thing he could possibly be pleased with.
“Honestly, it’s probably the toughest round I’ve ever played,” an exasperated Morikawa mentioned afterward. “I don’t know.”
Morikawa’s return to aggressive golf has undergone extra lumps than he anticipated. When he withdrew from THE PLAYERS after only one gap of his first round, he spoke as if he understood the problem. He mentioned he had skilled it earlier than and knew easy methods to react. Nearly a month out from the damage,
Morikawa is still struggling, portray an unflattering image of the ailment’s lengthy tail.
To be clear: Morikawa isn’t in ache, however he’s nonetheless uncomfortable. Walking is troublesome, and he has but to really feel like his legs are absolutely underneath him. As a outcome, the swings he takes are largely higher physique and lack his regular energy. He didn’t hit greater than 50 vary balls per day in the lead-up to the first round and was nicely beneath his baseline of velocity when he did. Then there’s the mental block that he has but to free himself from. Morikawa mentioned he wakened Thursday morning with extra nerves than he’s ever felt earlier than a round of golf.
“I’ve never felt this nervous, like, in my life,” he mentioned. “I’ve played in majors. I’ve played in other events. I think it’s a trust factor, right? I think when it happened out on the course at THE PLAYERS, you know, there’s a certain doubt factor of, like, is this going to happen, is this not? … My head gets in the way, and the head can stop so much.”
Morikawa had no thought what he would possibly shoot. He performed 9 holes on Tuesday and Wednesday, however Thursday introduced new challenges. He wasn’t certain how his physique or head would react. He opened with six straight pars earlier than a bogey on the seventh put him over par, the place he would keep the remainder of the day. He dropped one other shot on the ninth, earlier than enjoying the troublesome duo of 10 and 11 in even par (birdie-bogey). He tried to show the momentum with a birdie on the thirteenth however adopted it with one other bogey that dropped him again to 2-over.
“The mind is a powerful, powerful thing,” Morikawa mentioned. “It can lead (in) the wrong direction sometimes, and it can lead you in the right direction.”
Morikawa’s hoping for the latter for 3 extra rounds, although he’ll want a stable round Friday to keep away from an early exit.
“You never know if you’re going to find some luck and be able to figure something out,” Morikawa mentioned.
