Justin Thomas is set to miss a significant part of the PGA Tour season after confirming that he’s undergone surgery to address a persistent back issue.
Thomas found his game again in 2025, picking up a win at the RBC Heritage and earning a spot on the Ryder Cup team. Like many Americans, he was eyeing up 2026 as another big year.
He shared an update on social media revealing he had undergone a microdiscectomy to treat a disc issue in his back.
This procedure means Thomas will be sidelined from both PGA Tour events and the upcoming TGL series for an unspecified period.
“Tough news to share but I’ve been dealing with discomfort in my back for some time now,” said Thomas. “After talking with various medical professionals, I had a microdiscectomy yesterday (Tuesday) to start relieving some of that discomfort.”
Justin Thomas Gives Injury Update and Sets Out Return Plan
It’s never easy to see a top player sidelined, especially someone as popular as Justin Thomas.
He was just starting to look like his old self again, so the timing of this setback feels especially harsh. But even though he is out for now, he isn’t putting any pressure on himself to set a return date.
Still, Thomas seems confident that the surgery was successful and is focusing on his long-term health.
“Life update – I’ve had some nagging hip pain for a handful of months and after some time off and worsening symptoms, an MRI showed I had a disc problem that needed to be treated.
“I had a successful microdiscectomy performed yesterday at Hospital for Special Surgery in NY and have already been released from the hospital. I’m so grateful to the doctors and staff there for all their hard work and support.
“My next few weeks will be a lot of resting before the rehab process begins. I have a great team behind me who I fully trust to get me back to a better place than I was before!
“Before you ask, I’m not putting any tournament on the calendar or specific time for returning. While I will miss some events in the beginning of 2026, I want to be very smart and patient in letting my disc fully heal so it isn’t an issue again.
I’m very lucky that the game of golf allows us to play at a high level for a long time, and that’s what I plan on doing – this procedure will allow me to do that injury free in the future. Can’t wait to see y’all back out there.”
Tiger Woods experience could guide Justin Thomas’ recovery
Back injuries are difficult for anyone to manage, but the impact can be even greater for a professional golfer.
Thomas, though, appears to have taken a sensible approach by acting early rather than waiting until the situation worsened.
Given his close relationship with Tiger Woods and Tiger’s long history of back issues, it wouldn’t be surprising if they’d spoken about this decision. Thomas taking early action should be seen as a positive step.
| Tiger Woods’ surgeries since 2008 | |
| 2008 | Left knee |
| 2008 | ACL |
| 2014 | Back |
| 2015 | Back |
| 2015 | Back |
| 2017 | Back |
| 2019 | Knee |
| 2020 | Back |
| 2021 | Legs |
| 2023 | Ankle |
| 2024 | Back |
| 2025 | Achilles |
| 2025 | Back |
It’s still a setback for both Thomas and the PGA Tour, who will be without one of their more popular players for an extended period.
The hope now is that the surgery solves the problem, allowing Thomas to focus on returning to form once he’s back in action.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
