Collin Morikawa withdraws from the Truist Championship due to back problems.

Colin Morikawa Withdraws from the Truist Championship: Golf World on Alert Over American Star’s Back Problems

The world of golf is in turmoil this Monday, May 4, 2026, following the shocking news of Colin Morikawa’s withdrawal from the Truist Championship, a flagship event of the PGA Tour taking place this week at the challenging Quail Hollow course in Charlotte. The 29-year-old young prodigy, who had been showing signs of recovery, withdrew without officially revealing the reasons, but all indications point to the persistence of a back problem that has been troubling him since March, when he was forced to withdraw from the Players Championship after just one round.

Morikawa, who won the prestigious AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, marking his seventh victory on the PGA Tour and rising to 4th place in the world ranking, had shown signs of resilience in recent weeks despite physical limitations. He entered this week in Charlotte in 6th place in the rankings, a drop that had already raised concerns among his fans and experts.

Since he began experiencing back pain, Morikawa has been carefully managing his condition, opting to withdraw from the Valero Texas Open to gain recovery time, although he maintained his presence at the Masters in April, where he achieved a remarkable 7th place, and at the RBC Heritage, finishing in 4th place. All of this with a visibly more cautious and slower swing, a result of physical discomfort.

In recent statements after the RBC Heritage, Morikawa did not hide his frustration and weariness: “This is not the time to be testing myself, especially during a tournament, particularly in my current condition. But when I’m home next week, I’ll see how comfortable I can be and I hope to get back to normal soon. It has been a constant struggle. Playing these past two weeks felt like a whole year physically, just holding on. But I’ve learned a lot about myself. Mentally, I’ve stayed strong, even without being in my best shape to grip the club.”

The young talent’s most recent performance was disheartening: a 62nd place out of 72 players at the Cadillac Championship, his worst showing in four-round tournaments, demonstrating the limitations that his physical issue is imposing on his performance. Now, Morikawa has chosen to take a break before the PGA Championship, the second major of the season, which will be held outside Philadelphia next week.

To fill the vacancy left by Morikawa at the Truist Championship, the PGA Tour announced the inclusion of Andrew Putnam in the player field, presenting an unexpected opportunity for the American.

This episode raises concerns about the physical condition of one of the most promising golfers today and puts expectations regarding his participation in upcoming major events on hold. The golf world is eagerly awaiting news about Colin Morikawa’s recovery, who is expected to be a central figure in the sport in the coming years, but is now facing one of the biggest challenges of his career.

This article first appeared in Apito Final.