Justin Thomas Undergoes Back Surgery — Should We Be Worried?
Justin Thomas has announced that he recently underwent a microdiscectomy back surgery and will miss the start of the 2026 PGA TOUR season. In this clip, we break down why this injury is so concerning, the history of golfers returning from back surgeries, and how JT’s swing pattern and modern-speed mechanics may have contributed to the disc issue.
We dive into:
• JT’s nagging hip pain that led to the MRI
• Why back surgeries are so unpredictable for golfers
• The Tiger Woods / Will Zalatoris cautionary examples
• How modern “side-bend” swing mechanics torque the lower back
• Whether JT will need to rebuild his swing to prevent this happening again
• What this means for his 2026 and 2027 seasons
• Why rushing back — especially for majors — is the biggest risk
• The long-term concern: future surgeries, fusion, compensation injuries
This is one of the more concerning injury updates we've seen from a star player in a long time.
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The Second Cut gets you everything you need in the world of golf on the PGA Tour and more! Tournament previews, storylines for each week, and in-depth players reviews. Hosted by Rick Gehman (@RickRunGood). Joined by Greg DuCharme (@therealGFD), Mark Immelman (mark_immelman), and Patrick McDonald (@pmcdonaldCBS).