Justin Thomas eyes Florida swing return, says back surgery recovery ‘has gone well’

Justin Thomas said Thursday that his recovery from back surgery has gone well and that he’s eyeing a return to the PGA Tour at some point during the Florida swing.

Thomas underwent microdiscectomy surgery on his back last November and has not played since. At the time he said that he had nagging hip pain that required him to undergo an MRI. That’s where it was discovered that the disc needed to be treated.

“Recovery has gone well,” Thomas wrote on social media. “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.”

The PGA Tour will remain on the West Coast for the next month before heading to Florida for the Cognizant Classic (Feb. 26-March 1) at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens. The next three weeks are the Arnold Palmer Invitational (March 5-8), the Players Championship (March 12-15) and the Valspar Championship (March 19-22) at Innisbrook.

“I’m looking to come back competitively at some point during the Florida swing,” Thomas 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.”