Collin Morikawa
Introduction:
Collin Morikawa is a golfer on the PGA tour who is widely known for his exceptional iron-striking abilities and his ability to maintain composure on the course. Having won an astounding seven times on the PGA tour (including two majors) in only five years, he has established a reputation for himself as one of golf’s young stars.
Early Life:
Collin Morikawa was born to Chinese and Japanese parents on February 6, 1997. When he was 8, he started lessons with a local Scholl Canyon Golf Course coach and began improving rapidly. Morikawa attended La Cañada High School, earning the 2012 All-Area Boys’ Golfer of the Year Award.
College Career:
After graduating high school, Morikawa attended UC Berkeley, most notably winning the PAC-12 Conference Championship in 2019. He was also part of the 2017 and 2018 Arnold Palmer Cup teams, the 2017 Walker Cup team, and the 2018 Eisenhower Trophy team. To this day, he still holds the program record of all-time stroke leader and the 54-hole record of 17-under par(196).
Professional Career:
In 2019, Morikawa played his first professional tournament at the RBC Canadian Open, tying for 14th place. He would soon win his first tournament at the Barracuda Championship, securing membership on the PGA tour for the following year. He would go on to not fail to miss a cut for his first 22 tournaments on the tour, a feat second only to Tiger Woods’ record of 25 consecutive made cuts. In 2020, he won his first major, the PGA Championship, while carding a final round of 64. This astonishing feat would tie him for the record of lowest final-round score in a PGA championship and become the youngest player ever to win the tournament(he was only 23 years old). In 2021, he would win The Open Championship in a playoff over fellow 3-time major champion Jordan Spieth, cementing himself as a major contender on the tour. Unfortunately, Morikawa would not win again for the next twenty-seven months, as he blew a six-shot lead on the final day of the Sentry Tournament of Champions, finishing two strokes behind the eventual winner, Jon Rahm. This dramatic collapse tied him for the tour record for the largest 54-hole lead squandered. He finally ended his winning drought by winning the Zozo Championship in 2023 by a lead of six strokes.
Style of Play:
Morikawa’s style of play is best characterized by his incredible ball-striking ability, most notably with his irons. According to a video by Golf Digest, his ball dispersion with a six iron(a relatively more difficult club to hit consistently) is better than an average pro with a pitching wedge. This has led many golf analysts and fans to describe him as one of the best iron players in the game.
Conclusion:
Morikawa’s rise to the top of the golf world has been nothing short of impressive. Having already established himself as one of the best on tour, he will continue to be a major contender in any tournament he plays in for years to come.
Sources:
NCAA.com. “Florida Wins the 2023 DI Men’s Golf Championship.” NCAA.com, NCAA.com, June 2023, www.ncaa.com/news/golf-men/article/2023-09-26/2023-ryder-cup-players-college-careers-and-accomplishments. Accessed 12 Aug. 2024.
Salao, Colin. “Collin Morikawa’s High School Mentors Laud Humility of the “Best Athlete That’s Ever Come from La Cañada” - Medill Reports Chicago.” Medill Reports Chicago, 25 Feb. 2022, news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/collin-morikawas-high-school-mentors-laud-humility-of-the-best-athlete-thats-ever-come-from-la-canada/. Accessed 12 Aug. 2024.
“The inside Story of Collin Morikawa’s Journey to the Peak of Professional Golf.” Golf Digest, www.golfdigest.com/story/collin-morikawa-success-major-champion.
Tremlett, Sam, and Elliott Heath. “25 Things You Didn’t Know about Collin Morikawa.” Golf Monthly Magazine, Golf Monthly, 16 Jan. 2023, www.golfmonthly.com/tour/collin-morikawa-facts-bio. Accessed 12 Aug. 2024.