Collin Morikawa admitted to battling mental demons during the first round of the Masters, as he continues to recover from back spasms that forced him to withdraw from THE PLAYERS Championship. Morikawa said that while his back no longer hurts, the spasms have left mental scars that he is still trying to overcome.
Despite the challenges, Morikawa managed a 2-over 74. He described it as probably the toughest round he’s ever played.
Lingering Effects of Back Spasms
Morikawa’s return to competitive golf has been more difficult than he anticipated. He withdrew from THE PLAYERS after just one hole, saying he understood the issue and knew how to react. However, nearly a month later, Morikawa is still struggling.
Morikawa clarified that he isn’t in pain, but he’s still uncomfortable. Walking is difficult, and he has yet to feel like his legs are fully under him. As a result, his swings are mostly upper body and lack his normal power. He didn’t hit more than 50 range balls per day in the lead-up to the first round and was well below his baseline of speed when he did. Then there’s the mental block that he has yet to free himself from.
Mental Hurdles at Augusta
Morikawa said he woke up on Thursday morning with more nerves than he’s ever felt before a round of golf. “I’ve never felt this nervous, like, in my life,” he said. “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.”
He played nine holes on Tuesday and Wednesday, but Thursday brought new challenges. He wasn’t sure how his body or head would react. He opened with six straight pars before a bogey on the seventh put him over par, where he would stay the rest of the day. He dropped another shot at the ninth, before playing the difficult duo of 10 and 11 in even par (birdie-bogey). He tried to turn the momentum with a birdie at the 13th but followed it with another bogey that dropped him back to 2-over.
“The mind is a powerful, powerful thing,” Morikawa said. “It can lead (in) the wrong direction sometimes, and it can lead you in the right direction.”
Hoping for a Turnaround
Morikawa’s hoping for the latter for three more rounds, though he will need a solid round Friday to avoid an early exit.
“You never know if you’re going to find some luck and be able to figure something out,” Morika.