A minimally invasive surgical system for implanting pedicle screw assemblies to be connected by a spinal rod is disclosed. In one form, the system includes a plurality of holding mechanisms for the pedicle screw assemblies, each holding mechanism for being inserted through an incision and configured to receive tools along an axis thereof for driving a screw anchor of the pedicle screw assembly into a vertebra and securing the spinal rod thereto and a rod inserter that is configured to adjustably hold the rod and insert the rod through a common incision with one of the holding mechanism for being fed into position in an initial direction that is transverse to the axes of the holding mechanisms.