Two-time major champion Justin Thomas announced Friday that he will undergo back surgery and miss the start of the 2026 PGA Tour season.
“Life update. For the past few months, I have been suffering from persistent pain in my hip,” Thomas said in a statement posted on social media. “After some time off and my symptoms worsening, an MRI scan revealed a disc problem that required treatment.”
Thomas said he underwent a successful microdiscectomy at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery on Thursday and has been released from the hospital.
The 32-year-old, ranked No. 8 in the Official World Golf Rankings, won the RBC Heritage last season (his 18th on tour) and has eight top-10 finishes in 2025.
In addition to competing in the Hero World Challenge from Dec. 4-7, Thomas was also scheduled to participate in the reboot of the Skins Game on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
“The next few weeks will be a lot of rest before the rehabilitation process begins,” Thomas said. “I have a great team and I have full trust in them to get me back better than before!”
Thomas did not give a target date for his return to competitive golf, but confirmed he would miss events in early 2026.
The typical recovery timetable from a microdiscectomy, a surgery that Thomas’ friend Tiger Woods underwent multiple times, is three months.
Woods underwent three microdiscectomies in 2014 and 2015, another in 2020, and another in 2024. Last month, Woods announced that he had undergone disc replacement surgery.
“I want to heal very wisely and patiently so that the disc doesn’t become a problem again,” Thomas said. “I’m very fortunate that golf allows me to play at a high level for so long. And that’s what I’m trying to do. This procedure will allow me to play injury-free in the future.”
