Masters star ‘struggling to walk’ after earning millions on final day | Golf | Sport

Collin Morikawa was “struggling to walk” after he ended the Masters tied for seventh while battling a back injury. Morikawa was forced to withdraw from the Players Championship last month after just four shots due to back pain, having tweaked a muscle during a pre-round workout.

He subsequently withdrew from the Valero Texas Open and arrived at the 90th Masters as a significant question mark regarding his participation. He entered the tournament at Augusta below full fitness and opened with a 74. He then responded with three consecutive rounds in the 60s, all while visibly managing discomfort that was affecting his swing.

Morikawa moved tentatively throughout the tournament, something that did not go unnoticed by spectators.

As he completed the 17th hole on Sunday, former professional and now-pundit Trevor Immelman said: “Gusty from him. Looks like he’s struggling to walk.”

Morikawa has recorded top-20 finishes at the Masters in each of the past five years, most notably a tie for third in 2024 and a fifth-place finish in 2022.

This season, he has posted three top-10 results, including a victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am that brought an end to a two-year winless run.

The progression from the 29-year-old’s arrival earlier in the week to his performance on Sunday was unmistakable. After an uncertain start, he gradually found his rhythm, delivering a far more assured and confident display as the tournament progressed. His finish at Augusta earned him £539,926.

On his improvement and the significance of his Masters performance, Morikawa said: “This blew by any expectations I had for the week. Honestly, for me it was just survive each day, wake up, do the prep I needed to do, and go and tee off on one. I didn’t know how uncomfortable it was going to be, but we managed to get through all 18 and all 72.

“It’s going to be one of the best tournaments forever. I’m going to remember this one for many reasons, but just more how strong the mind is, to be able to go out and convince yourself that everything is going to be okay.”

Morikawa added that his son’s imminent arrival provides extra motivation for his recovery: “It’s motivation for me to get healthy. I want to be able to pick him up, roll around, play with him. I’ve got some work to do to get fully healthy, and we’re going to find a way to make sure I’m back.”

Rory McIlroy successfully defended the Masters title on Sunday, following in the footsteps of Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.