Justin Thomas to make season debut at Arnold Palmer Invitational months after back surgery

After months recovering from a back surgery, Justin Thomas is ready to return to the PGA Tour.

Thomas will be in the field next week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he announced on Monday night. It will mark Thomas’ first start of the 2026 season and his first since he underwent surgery to fix a disc in his back last fall.

“I’ve obviously missed it,” Thomas said on ESPN while playing in a TGL match in Florida. “It’s been a long time, but it’s good to be back here and playing, to feel the juices, the competitiveness, the adrenaline, and just competing. I’ve watched these guys on TV the last, what feels like, a very, very long time. So it’s good to be playing with them.”

that he had undergone surgery to fix a disc issue in his back. He had been dealing with “nagging hip pain” for a few months, and has been recovering ever since.

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Thomas last competed at the Ryder Cup in September, though Team Europe rolled over the United States at that event at Bethpage Black in New York. Thomas was set to play in The Skins Game on Black Friday, too, but he had to pull out as a result of the surgery.

Thomas has won 16 times in his career on Tour, most recently at the RBC Heritage last season. He had eight top 10 finishes in 2025 and three runner-up finishes. Thomas has struggled in the majors since his PGA Championship win in 2022, however, and has only finished inside the top 30 once and has missed the cut seven times in his last 14 major starts. Despite not playing in recent months, Thomas is currently at No. 14 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

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The Arnold Palmer Invitational, set for Bay Hill Club and Lodge, marks the third signature event of the season and the last tune-up before The Players Championship next month. The first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational will kick off on March 5.