Majestic Morikawa sends chill through established order
SO MUCH for turning pro and learning your trade in the backwaters. So much for buckling under the heat when contending for the first time on Sunday afternoon at a major.
Collin Morikawa was not even the most lauded amateur when he turned pro less than a year ago, on the same day as the two players ranked above him – Viktor Hovland and Matthew Wolff. He didn’t have the big drives like Wolff that made everyone swoon. He didn’t putt like the Norwegian Hovland.
Among the curious pros, however, they saw things rather differently. They were more interested in the kid who, in an equipment testing session, was getting the same dispersal pattern with a six iron that tour players usually achieve with a wedge.
‘There’s always a bunch of guys who rock up on the scene, and he didn’t get the most publicity out of this particular group,’ said Paul Casey. ‘But we could tell. Those of us who know, we could see he was the one.’
The luckless runner-up Casey would learn that in emphatic style on a wondrous final day at the 102nd US PGA Championship at Harding Park on Sunday.
Fancy shooting 66 in the final round and still not winning your first major? Casey was happy to take it on the chin, after watching Morikawa deliver what will surely be the shot of the year on the driveable par-four 16th hole to snatch the trophy away from him. ‘Sometimes all you can do is tip your cap to someone,’ said the gracious Englishman, who had watched the wonder blow from the adjacent 17th tee.
‘I mean, what a shot that was. Hitting a driver through that narrow gap to 9ft? It deserved to win any major.’
This was just Morikawa’s 27th start as a pro. He has his first major at the age of 23. The only other players that young to win the PGA are Tiger, Jack and Rory. Yes, he’s that good. Going into the final 90 minutes of action, there was a six-way tie for the lead with another three players just a shot behind. ‘I saw on the 12th hole there was a party going on at 10 under par,’ said Morikawa. ‘Who was going to be the man to separate himself? I knew someone was going to have to break out.’
Morikawa sped away by chipping in at the 14th for a birdie before his stunning eagle two at the 16th. He was first in putting stats, driving accuracy and proximity to the hole with approach shots for a statistical holy trinity – unprecedented since such records began in 2003.
Questions remain for Morikawa. How’s he going to react to being hailed the next great American golfer? How will he manage when fans return?
Here’s Brooks Koepka’s verdict. ‘Collin... he’s just one helluva player,’ he said.