Collin Morikawa is ready to tee it up at Augusta National, but the journey to the first tee has been a physical and mental challenge. The two-time major champion, currently ranked No. 7 in the world, is battling through a back injury that forced him to withdraw from The Players Championship after just one hole and skip last week's Texas Open entirely.

After a week of hitting balls and receiving treatment, Morikawa admits he's "not exactly where I want to be" physically. "The back actually feels fine," he said. "It's just other parts of the body not cooperating a little bit how I want." For a player known for his pristine ball-striking, this state of flux is far from ideal heading into golf's most demanding test.

However, Morikawa's track record at The Masters provides a reason for optimism. He has made the cut in all five of his previous appearances, including a T3 finish last year and three total top-10s. That experience will be crucial as he navigates the iconic course. "This isn’t a place where you want to be uncomfortable," he acknowledged, "but sometimes you’ve got to find other ways to get around a golf course."

In other news from Augusta, defending champion Scottie Scheffler is balancing the pressures of a title defense with the joys of new fatherhood. Scheffler and his wife, Meredith, recently welcomed their second child, Remy, news they kept private for over a week—a pattern they followed with their first child, Bennett. The world No. 1 is fiercely protective of his family's privacy, aiming to give his children as normal an upbringing as possible despite his global fame. "I feel like my kids need to have a normal upbringing, or as normal as I can," Scheffler stated, acknowledging the unique challenges that come with being the sport's biggest star.