Justin Thomas to Undergo Back Surgery and Miss the Start of the 2026 Season
Golfer Justin Thomas, a two-time major winner, announced this Friday that he will miss the start of the 2026 PGA Tour season due to back surgery. Thomas revealed in a statement posted on social media that he has been dealing with hip pain for several months. After a period of rest and the worsening of symptoms, an MRI revealed a disc problem that required treatment.The 32-year-old golfer, currently in eighth place in the World Golf Ranking, underwent a successful microdiscectomy at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York on Thursday and has already been discharged. This season, Thomas won the RBC Heritage and achieved eight top-ten finishes. Thomas was scheduled to participate in the Hero World Challenge from December 4th to 7th, as well as the reinvention of the Skins Game on the Friday after Thanksgiving.After a period of rest and the worsening of symptoms, an MRI revealed a disc problem that required treatment.
Justin Thomas
Although he did not provide an estimated date for his return to competitive golf, Thomas acknowledged that he will miss events at the beginning of 2026. The typical recovery time for a microdiscectomy, a surgery Tiger Woods has undergone several times, is three months. Thomas added: “I want to be very smart and patient in letting my disc fully heal so it doesn’t become a problem again. I am very fortunate that golf allows us to play at a high level for a long time, and that’s what I plan to do: this procedure will allow me to do it without injuries in the future.”My next few weeks will be for a lot of rest before the rehabilitation process begins. I have a great team behind me whom I fully trust to bring me back to a better place than where I was before.
Justin Thomas
