⛳ Will Collin Morikawa Play in the 2026 Masters? Injury Update, Odds & Thursday Tee Time

It's been almost a month since Collin Morikawa withdrew from the first round of The Players Championship with a back injury, and he hasn't competed since. But he's planning to push through at the 2026 Masters with an early tee time on Thursday morning.

The two-time major champion and world No. 7 withdrew from the Valero Texas Open in late March but has told reporters he's playing this week, despite laboring through his practice rounds at Augusta National this week. Below, I break down the latest Collin Morikawa injury update with details of his back injury, his Masters odds entering Round 1, and when he'll tee off on Thursday.

🏥 What happened to Collin Morikawa? Injury update & timeline

Morikawa was playing some of the best golf of his career entering The Players Championship with three consecutive top-7 finishes, including a win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a fifth-place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational while leading the PGA Tour in strokes gained: approach.

That all changed on March 12 at TPC Sawgrass, where Morikawa felt a twinge in his back during a practice swing on his second hole. He withdrew immediately from the tournament and hasn't completed a competitive round since.

Morikawa initially entered in last week's Valero Texas Open but pulled out before the tournament began with an eye on his return at Augusta. He's already told reporters that he'll play in the Masters this week but says he's taking it "day by day" with limited practice reps ahead of Thursday's first round. That doesn't sound like a golfer who is at full health, but he should be out there to start at the very least.

⛳ Collin Morikawa practice round updates

Morikawa arrived at Augusta National on Monday and played a nine-hole practice round on the back nine with Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns, but he was only chipping and putting while skipping shots off the tee. That should tell us all we need to know about where he's at physically, though he could be saving his energy for the real deal.

"It's been a little bit of a mental battle, I think, just trying to trust with where it's at ..." Morikawa told reporters this week. "When you hurt yourself swinging, it's a completely different beast of itself because you just don't know. There's a little bit of a commitment, trust."

📊 Collin Morikawa Masters odds

We break down the Masters odds along with our Masters picks & predictions.  

Morikawa entered the week at +3500 to win the Masters outright, which is where his odds sit on the evening ahead of the opening round. That's a far cry from where he'd likely be priced if not for the injury, as he was one of the hottest golfers on the tour entering The Players Championship.

If he were at full strength, he'd be a trendy pick to win the Masters: he's posted four consecutive top-15 finishes at Augusta, including a tie for third in 2024, and he's never missed the cut in five career starts at this famed course. Yet it's an open question whether he'll be healthy enough to contend or even complete 72 holes - which could spell value for those who take the risk on him as one of the best Masters long shots.

🕥 Collin Morikawa Masters tee time

Morikawa tees off at 10:19 a.m. ET on Thursday alongside Hideki Matsuyama and Russell Henley. That puts him in the morning wave, where temperatures will be in the mid-50s at tee time. I broke down the latest Masters weather forecast with a full hourly breakdown and how conditions could impact Round 1 scoring and betting opportunities.

🌳 Masters info 2026

• When: Thursday, April 9 - Sunday, April 12
• Where: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Ga.
• Defending champion: Rory McIlroy
• How to watch: ESPN, CBS
• Streaming: Prime Video, Paramount+, Masters.com
• Favorite: Scottie Scheffler (+600 via Caesars)

 📺 How to watch the 2026 Masters

The Masters will be available for longer and in more ways than ever before, with Prime Video picking up early-afternoon coverage on Thursday and Friday. Masters.com will once again carry every shot of the tournament. Here's the full broadcast info:

Canadian viewers can watch the Masters on TSN and CTV, and French viewers can watch on RDS. Sky Sports covers the Masters in the U.K.