Morikawa balances parenthood and injury recovery at RBC Canadian Open
The 29-year-old world No. 10 is using the Canadian event to rebuild confidence in his back and adjust to new fatherhood, following withdrawals from the Players Championship and Memorial Tournament.
Collin Morikawa has returned to competitive golf at the RBC Canadian Open, marking his first tournament appearance since the birth of his first child with his wife, Kat. The 29-year-old PGA Tour professional is simultaneously managing a lingering back injury that previously forced him to withdraw from the Players Championship and the Memorial Tournament. Morikawa is using this event to rebuild physical confidence and adjust to parenthood, including a new routine of short naps, ahead of the upcoming U.S. Open.
This marks Morikawa’s first appearance at the RBC Canadian Open since his professional debut in 2019. He is currently ranked world No. 10 and has won two major championships and seven PGA Tour events. Morikawa is a former student at the University of California, Berkeley (Cal Bear). He recently won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am before his back issues became prominent. The upcoming U.S. Open is scheduled for the week following the RBC Canadian Open.
Morikawa stated he is focusing on rebuilding trust in his body and adjusting to parenthood, including a new routine of short naps, ahead of the upcoming U.S. Open. He described adjusting to parenthood, noting he now relies on 50-minute naps and has a "different spot" in his mind while playing, which he believes is making him more positive. Morikawa admitted to having "trust issues" with his back, describing the injury as a form of trauma that requires time to overcome.
He stated that while his body is not yet fully comfortable, he is taking the right steps to prevent re-injury and is hoping to feel more relaxed by Thursday’s play. Morikawa withdrew from the Memorial Tournament, a event where he has previously enjoyed success, and watched it on television. He finished inside the top 10 in half of the events he has played this year.
The exact timeline of the birth relative to the tournament start is not specified, only that it occurred "recently." The specific medical diagnosis or nature of the back injury is not detailed in the source material. Morikawa’s performance in the current tournament is prospective; the outcome is not yet known.
