Collin Morikawa withdraws with back injury

DUBLIN, Ohio – Collin Morikawa withdrew with back spasms before his 12:55 p.m. final-round tee time at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday.

Morikawa had shot a third-round 68 and was only two off the lead but hurt himself stretching.

“Muscle in the back, lower back, just kind of gave out,” he said. “We were doing some like reflex stuff, trying to reach down and try to pick something up like quick and low. Went after it weird. Literally have never had this in my life. I've hurt may back briefly before, but like nothing has been this bad, especially never warming up, never doing anything pre-round. It sucks.”

His WD leaves playing partner Keegan Bradley to play as a single. The last time Morikawa hurt his back, he said, was in college. But this, he said, was different.

“I mean I crashed to the ground, just random spasm,” he said. “Like it wasn't lingering, it wasn't going through my body. It was just a spasm in my back. Literally tried to hit 10 balls, hit my 9-iron, chunked 9-iron about 95 yards, so I don't think that's playing out here at Muirfield Village.”

A five-time PGA TOUR winner who captured the 2020 Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village, Morikawa said he couldn’t remember having withdrawn from another tournament.

“It sucks because this is a tournament that I love,” he said. “I've played well and put ourselves in contention, but I have to look out for myself and got to be smart. We still have a handful of tournaments left before the (FedExCup) Playoffs. Obviously, the U.S. Open and the (Open Championship) in two weeks’ time is going to be plenty enough for me to get ready.

“Just not a time in the season where you want it to happen,” he added. “I woke up fine, all signs led to me being fine. Just freak little accident warming up. Never doing that exercise again.”