World No. 9 Justin Thomas said Thursday that he’s targeting a return from back surgery during the PGA Tour’s Florida swing.
Thomas has been out of action since undergoing microdiscectomy in mid-November, saying at the time that “some nagging hip pain for a handful of months” led him to undergo an MRI, which revealed a a “disc problem that needed to be treated.”
In a social media post Thursday, Thomas updated his recovery, noting that it’s gone “real well” and he’s now “hitting wedges/short irons.”
“I’m looking to come back competitively at some point during the Florida swing,” he wrote. “I know how important it is to get this injury behind me so that I’m only looking forward over the course of the season.”
10 weeks post surgery today… feeling good! Recovery has gone well. I’m slowly building back my strength and conditioning in the gym, and also hitting wedges/short irons. Little victories and patience have been the biggest part of the process. Taking it slow and listening to how… pic.twitter.com/vVmPvGUpsk
— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) January 22, 2026
The Florida swing begins with the Cognizant Classic from Feb. 26-March 1, followed by tournaments in that state the following three weeks, capped by the Players Championship from March 12-15.
That also would put Thomas on track to play in the season’s first major championship, the Masters, from April 9-12.
An 18-time PGA Tour winner, Thomas is coming off a strong 2025, capturing the RBC Heritage and finishing in the top-10 eight times overall.
