The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
PGA champion comfortable in joining list of major winners
Major champion happy to embrace role as golf’s newest star after Harding Park success
Collin Morikawa will relish life in the spotlight as golf’s newest major champion and is already targeting more glory in the game’s biggest events.
Playing in just his second major and 28th tournament since turning professional 14 months ago, Morikawa won the US PGA Championship in sensational fashion after a thrilling final round at Harding Park in San Francisco on Sunday.
The 23-year-old emerged from a seven-way tie for the lead in the closing stages by chipping in for a birdie on the 14th hole and then producing a stunning eagle on the 16th by driving the green on the 294-yard par four and holing from seven feet.
A closing 64 equalled the lowest round of the week and gave Morikawa a twoshot victory – his third since turning pro – over England’s Paul Casey and overnight leader Dustin Johnson, who has now failed convert any of his four 54-hole leads in majors.
Morikawa, whose only error came during the presentation ceremony when the lid of the Wanamaker Trophy fell off as he held it aloft, said: “I feel very comfortable in this spot.
“When I woke up (on Sunday) I was like, this is meant to be. This is where I feel very comfortable. This is where I want to be, and I’m not scared from it. I think if I was scared from it, the last few holes would have been a little different, but you want to be in this position.
“And for me it doesn’t stop here. I’ve got a very good taste of what this is like, what a major championship is like. I know we all had to have some type of adjustment not having fans (and) when fans do start coming back it’s going to be an adjustment, but this is where I want to be. I love it.
“The majors are going to be circled in, just like everyone else, but I’ve got to focus on every single week. I’m trying to win every single week. I’m not trying to come out and just win the majors.
“I’m 23. This is my first full year. I haven’t even had a full year (on Tour) with everything going on.”
Morikawa made his first start as a professional in the Canadian Open in June 2019 and made the cut in his first 22 events, just three short of the record held by Tiger Woods.
The run came to an end in the third event of the PGA Tour’s return to action following the coronavirus shutdown, but Morikawa promptly won on his next start by beating Justin Thomas in a play-off in the Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village.
Meanwhile it may have taken him 43 years, but runner-up Casey believes he has finally found the “sweet spot” between ambition and attitude following his brilliant performance at Harding Park.
Casey carded a superb final round of 66 and it took an inspired display from Morikawa to deny him a first major title. A tie for second place with 54-hole leader Johnson is Casey’s best result in a major on his 64th attempt and bodes well for his chances in this season’s two remaining majors at Winged Foot and Augusta National.
Asked why he looked so comfortable in posting four sub-70 scores at Harding Park, Casey said: “Probably because I’ve spent three months where I didn’t touch a golf club, hanging out with my kids, my family at home.
“Then I started practising, but even those four-plus months I spent at home,
I’m thinking a lot you know, figuring out what’s important to me.
“When I’m out here, I think those of you who come out and talk to me a lot, you know this isn’t the most important thing in my life. Today (Sunday) was just sort of cruise around the golf course and have a great time.
“I’ve not played great golf so far this season, so anything was going to be a bonus on where I was a week ago or two weeks ago. So I was just out there kind of having a good time.
“But I do think I’m in a sweet spot. It’s taken me 43 years to get there, but yeah, pretty chilled out, know what I’m capable of and enjoying my golf.”