Collin Morikawa has withdrawn from the 2023 Memorial Tournament ahead of Sunday’s final round due to back spasms. During a stretch in his warmup, Morikawa experienced spasms. The two-time major champion carded a 54-hole total 4-under 212 and sat just two strokes off the lead held by Rory McIlroy, Si Woo Kim and David Lipsky. He will now return home to Las Vegas to rest and recover.
The world’s No. 18 player was in position to contend for his first title in nearly two years. Morikawa has not raised a trophy since the 2021 DP World Tour Championship with his latest full-field victory coming at the 2021 Open at Royal St. George’s.
The 26-year-old has seven top-20 finishes in 17 starts this season and will now hope to be healthy enough to compete at the 2023 U.S. Open in two weeks time. Morikawa, a Los Angeles native, would love nothing more than to contend for the national championship at LACC.
Due to Morikawa’s absence in the final round, Keegan Bradley, who was paired with Morikawa, will play by himself
This is not the first time Morikawa’s back has been an issue for him. During the 2021 Olympics, Morikawa strained a muscle in his back during the first round of action. He continued to play and narrowly missed out on capturing the bronze medal, but the injury persisted into the FedEx Cup Playoffs.