Major winner withdraws from $35m event after one hole

Two-time major champion Collin Morikawa took one practice swing and knew his week was over right after it started. He withdrew from The Players Championship after one hole with pain in his lower back.

Morikawa, the No.4 player in the world, took a practice swing on the par-5 11th hole and reached for his lower back. He tried to stretch, consulted his trainer and minutes later took a cart ride from an official to the clubhouse.

“I felt fine in warm-up. Nothing’s been any signs of back problems,” Morikawa told a PGA Tour official.

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“Teed it up on 11, and took one practice swing, and 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.”

Morikawa won at Pebble Beach earlier this year, ending a 28-month drought. He was looked upon as among golf's best performers early in the season, following that Pebble Beach win with a tie for seventh at Riviera and a tie for fifth last week at Bay Hill.

Morikawa, who spent the off-season primarily working on getting his body stronger, said he has had similar back issues, just not recently. It gave him an idea what was coming.

“Before I even took my practice swing, it’s like a weird, like deja vu thing,” he said.

“I took the practice swing and immediately knew. I just couldn’t get through impact.”

He said his back felt tender but he could still move around, as long as he wasn't doing any heavy lifting or swing a golf club.

“I kind of know the protocols of what to do and kind of dance around it,” he said. “But it’s going to take a little bit of time.”

He was the second player to withdraw from The Players. Ryan Fox withdrew with an illness before his afternoon tee time. Morikawa was not replaced because he had already started the tournament.

The Players is worth $35 million - one of the richest purses in golf - and is known as the sport's unofficial fifth major.