If His Back Cooperates, Can Collin Morikawa Chase a Green Jacket?

After ending a stretch of more than two years without a victory on the PGA Tour, Cal grad Collin Morikawa appeared to be set up to pursue his third career major golf title.

Morikawa, 29, won at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February and had played his way into form that convinced golf experts he could challenge for a green jacket this week at the Masters.

But Morikawa, who also owns wins at the PGA Championship and The (British) Open, describes himself “day to day” at Augusta National after experiencing back spasms on a practice swing after one hole at the Players Championship last month.

He hasn’t played since and withdrew last week from the Valero Texas Open, saying he still wasn’t feeling ready.

No former Cal player has won the Masters and Morikawa’s chances may be diminished because of the ongoing back issue.

"It's not exactly where I want to be, and it's unfortunate, but that's just the body, and I can't push it,” he told reporters this week.

Ranked No. 7 in the world and with three top-10 finishes this season, Morikawa has hit the most fairways of anyone (264) the past two years, according to ESPN, while hitting the second-most greens (291), trailing only Scottie Scheffler. He is the tour leader this year in strokes gained on approach.

Morikawa has competed well at the Masters, finishing in the top 10 three of the past four years and among the top 18 in each of his past five tries,

Golf Digest suggested he’s “a perfect fit, if he is healthy.”

That’s the issue, obviously. Morikawa said he hadn’t previously suffered an injury on the course — only during workouts — and that two recent MRIs suggest things aren’t any worse.

"It's been a little bit of a mental battle just trying to trust where it's at," he said. "The back actually feels fine. It's just other parts of the body not cooperating a little bit how I want.”

Michael Kim lines up a putt during the Texas Open | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

While Morikawa has been sidelined, fellow Cal grad Michael Kim, 32, is coming off a tie for second place last week at the Texas Open. He finished one stroke back of winner J.J. Spaun and pocketed a check for $741,000.

Things aren’t as bright for PGA Tour veteran Max Homa, 35, who arrives at his seventh Masters having missed the cut the past two weeks. Once ranked as high as No. 5 in the world in 2023, Homa is winless in his past 75 starts and has dropped to No. 163.

Another ex-Cal golfer, Byeong-hun An, 34, left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in January and won’t be at Augusta. An finished in a tie for 16th place at the 2024 Masters and has scored top-25 finishes in all four majors, but switched tours after failing to win a PGA event since turning pro in 2011.

James Hahn, 44, whose career appears to be winding down, did not qualify for the Masters for the ninth consecutive year after his most recent (and second ever) appearance at Augusta National in 2017. He finished in a tie for 48th place.

Here’s a look at the three Golden Bears playing this week at the Masters:

Collin Morikawa

Age: 29

World ranking: No. 7

Thursday tee time: 7:19 a.m. PT

Masters finishes: Tied 14th in 2025; tied 3rd in 2024; tied 10th in 2023; 5th in 2022; tied 18th in 2021; tied 44th in 2020

Top major finishes: First at 2020 PGA and 2021 (British) Open

PGA Tour victories: 7

Career earnings: $47,840,526

Max Homa

Age: 35

World ranking: No. 163

Thursday tee time: 4:50 a.m. PT

Masters finishes: Tied 12th in 2025; tied 3rd in 2024; tied 43rd in 2023; tied 48th in 2022; cut in 2021; cut in 2020

Top major finishes: Tied 3rd at 2024 Masters

PGA Tour victories: 6

Career earnings: $29,572,335

Michael Kim

Age: 32

World ranking: No. 43

Thursday tee time: 8:39 a.m. PT

Masters finishes: Tied 27th in 2025; cut in 2019

Top major finishes: Tied 17th at 2013 U.S. Open

PGA Tour victories: 1

Career earnings: $12,405,055

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