Fourth-ranked professional golfer Collin Morikawa was forced to exit The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida on March 12 after suffering a back injury just one hole into the tournament, according to PGA Tour officials.
The golfer, who entered this week’s premier PGA Tour event as a top contender, successfully completed the opening par-four 10th hole at TPC Sawgrass with a par before his tournament came to an abrupt end at the next tee box.
At the par-five 11th hole, Morikawa took a practice swing and immediately grabbed his back with his right hand. Officials observed him walking to a golf cart, removing his hat, and placing both hands on his head before being driven away from the course.
The golfer had been enjoying strong recent form, capturing victory at last month’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for his seventh career PGA Tour win. He maintained that momentum with top-10 performances at both the Genesis Invitational and Arnold Palmer Invitational tournaments.
