Augusta, Ga. — collin morikawa arrived at Augusta National Golf Club with major-championship experience, but his return to the Masters began with an unusual admission: he woke up Thursday feeling more nervous than he ever has in competition. The 29-year-old opened with a 2-over 74 in the 90th Masters after playing only two nine-hole practice rounds this week because of a back injury that forced him out of the Players on March 12.
For collin morikawa, the opening round was less about scorekeeping and more about getting through 18 holes while trusting his body. He said the round was “probably the toughest round I’ve ever played, ” adding that walking was the hardest part and that his legs did not feel strong underneath him.
Collin Morikawa battles nerves from the first shot
collin morikawa said the anxiety hit him as soon as he woke up. He described the day as a fight from the start, saying he had never felt that nervous before, even in majors and other events.
The concern traces back to the back injury he suffered at the Players, where a practice swing led to the problem and left him unable to practice at full speed. On Thursday, he said there was still a trust issue between what his mind expected and what his body would allow.
“I think it’s a trust factor, right?” collin morikawa said. “When it happened out on the course at the Players, there’s a certain doubt factor of, like, is this going to happen or is this not?”
Collin Morikawa says the body is no longer in pain, but not fully comfortable
The back is not hurting the way it did earlier, but collin morikawa said comfort has not returned. He explained that his head has been getting in the way and that he was not sure on Tuesday whether he would even make contact when he teed it up on the first hole.
He said he had been hitting balls for about a week and a half, but not comfortably. His legs, he said, “just don’t feel comfortable right now” and “don’t feel strong like they’re underneath me. ”
Even so, he finished the round and kept moving forward, joking that he might have been the slowest-playing golfer in the field because of the anxiety. “I’m just trying to put one foot in front of the other and kind of see how it all plays out, ” collin morikawa said.
Where collin morikawa stands after a difficult opening round
The round left collin morikawa at 2-over 74, with four bogeys and two birdies. He called it a battle and said the expectations around him felt stripped away for now.
That is a notable shift for a player who has already won two major championships, the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open Championship, and who had been trending well this season after winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Feb. 15. He entered the week first in strokes gained: approach at 1. 066 and third in tee-to-green at 1. 646.
“I’m proud of the way things kind of played out, ” collin morikawa said. “The expectations are kind of thrown out the window right now. ”
What happens next at Augusta
For now, collin morikawa’s main task is straightforward: keep managing the body, keep trusting the swing, and keep surviving the week at Augusta National Golf Club. With the Masters still unfolding, the key question is not just how far he can climb, but whether he can keep building comfort round by round after such a difficult start.
If collin morikawa can steady himself physically, he may yet turn the early struggle into a path back into contention at the Masters.
