Morikawa and his college pals are the future of Major golf
Collin Morikawa showed all the attributes of golf’s next generation with his brilliant two-shot win at the US PGA Championship in San Francisco last Sunday.
Just 23, and only a professional for little more than a year, he was fearless under pressure, and had scant regard for the big names he was facing.
It is yet another success story for the American collegiate system, which is churning out new stars at an incredible rate.
And according to former European Tour pro, Dean Robertson – now the High Performance Golf Coach at Stirling University – the game is becoming a young man’s sport at the top level.
“There’s no question about it. Players are now much better, much younger,” says Robertson, who himself attended Midland College in Texas.
“College golf in America is producing a conveyor belt of stars. They go to college, develop their skills and thrive in a challenging environment.
“They learn how to win and they take that with them into the pro ranks. So the transition is almost seamless. They are not afraid at all.
“These young guys see their peers get on to the PGA Tour and win. Their attitude is they can do it, because each one thinks he’s better than the next one.
“You have to be a winner to make it. If you’re not beating people in the high amateur stakes, your chances of doing that against top, seasoned pros are very slim.
“Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Bryson DeChambeau, they have all come through this route and many more before them. Now Collin Morikawa has done it.
“I was so impressed with Collin at the PGA. He has so much maturity for such a young player.
“His tee-shot which set up an eagle at the 16th – threading a driver round the trees to about 10 feet – is one of the greatest shots to ever win someone a Major.
“That shows such clarity of mind. He’s not a power hitter, but has so much control over his game.
“This wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan success. He looks like he belongs in that company.”
Morikawa has now won three times since graduating from the University of California last summer, and he’s one of 10 players, 27 and under, to win on this season’s PGA Tour.
The days of turning pro and easing yourself in gradually have gone. The average age of the world’s top-15 is currently 29.6.
Robertson is currently caddying for former Stirling graduate, Cormac Sharvin, during the European Tour’s UK swing, and he touches upon what is so crucial in developing a potential future star.
“In my role at Stirling, we work massively on mindset,” explains Robertson, a member of the 1993 GB&I Walker Cup team.
“I’m not a massive swing coach, as I would rather players take ownership of that themselves.
“I work with John Mathers, a sports psychologist, about what will allow players to perform best under pressure conditions.
“It’s a case of developing those skills, then exposing them to stressful situations to see how they stand up.
“You want to create a positive environment where players want to work hard and can develop that inner belief.”