Morikawa rallies for wild win
Beats Thomas on third playoff hole at Muirfield
turned June 11 from the COVID-19 pandemic. Morikawa lost on the first extra hole at Colonial by missing a 3-foot putt. He had a 2-foot putt in regulation on Sunday that caught the left edge of the cup and swirled in. “My heartbeat must have skipped a billion times,” he said.
The only thing missing was a handshake from Collin Morikawa figured his Jack Nicklaus. He’ll be there next week for the tournament was over if he didn’t make a 5Memorial, as the PGA Tour stays at Muirfield Vilfoot par putt on the 15th hole at Muirfield Village. lage. Viktor Hovland of Norway had a 71 and fin
He couldn’t have imagined all the fun was just ished alone in third. He was in the final group of starting. three young stars, all of whom had the lead at
Still three shots behind Justin Thomas with some point during the final round. three holes to play, Morikawa made only one birdHovland’s hopes ended with two shots — findie and it was enough for a 6-under 66 to force a ing a bunker from the 10th fairway for bogey, and playoff. a driver on the reachable 14 that only missed by
The three times he played the 18th hole, he about 5 feet, enough to slowly tumble down the twice could only watch as Thomas had 10-foot bank and into the water. putts for the win. Morikawa also hit driver on the 14th that rolled
The other time, Morikawa had to make a 25the green. He missed his 15-foot par putt, leading 12 feet away. He narrowly missed the eagle putt, foot putt to keep playing. to Morikawa’s two-putt par and the win. while Thomas hit a splendid wedge with side spin
The only dull moment Sunday at the Workday It was a wild ride for Thomas, too. He started to 3 feet for birdie to stay one ahead. That’s when Charity Open was the end, when Morikawa took with a two-shot lead, trailed by three after just five it appeared the tournament turned in Thomas’ fatwo putts for par from just inside 10 feet to beatvor.holes,madefourstraightbirdiesandwasahead
Thomas on the third playoff hole and win for the by three shots 10 holes later, and ultimately lost in Morikawa was in thick rough right of the fairsecond time in his career. a playoff. way on the par-5 15th, unsure he could get over
“Amazing,” Morikawa said when asked how he “It’s completely unacceptable to give up a threethe slope to the next section of fairway. It came out would sum up the day to someone who only saw shot lead with three to go,” Thomas said. “I’m upheavy, just through the fairway into light rough the result. set, I’m disappointed in myself. But at the end of 190 yards away. By then, Thomas hit 3-wood to 25 That covered a lot of territory. the day it’s over with now, and I just need to take feet. Morikawa went through a bunker to the Morikawa never looked like the winner until it some time this afternoon and tonight to build on steep slope by the green, and did well to chop that was over. it and figure out what I can do better going into chip high in the air to 5 feet. Thomas made his ea
Thomas had 10 straight one-putt greens, the next week.” gle putt. Morikawa made his par to stay alive. last one a 25-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th for They return in four days for the Memorial on a “A three-shot cushion with three to go is a lot the three-shot lead with three holes to play. And Muirfield Village course expected to be as fast as different than four with three to go,” Morikawa while he made two bogeys for a 69 that allowed a U.S. Open. said. “And then him hitting somewhat of a poor for a playoff, he had reason to think it was over This was a big win for the 23-year-old Morikatee shot on 16, I knew this was my window of opwhen he made a 50-foot birdie putt from the back wa, who in his 13 months since graduating from portunity.” of the 18th green. Cal already has established a reputation for a high Thomas missed a 10-foot par putt. Morikawa
“I never assumed it was over,” Thomas said. level of consistency. His only victory was at an opcaught a good bounce with an ordinary 8-iron to “Percentages would say that it heavily is close to posite-field event last summer. He beat a field at the 17th and made a 10-foot birdie. Thomas found being that way. ... I just tried to keep my head the Workday Charity Open that featured five of the fairway bunker off the tee at the 18th, played down and think he’s going to make it, but hoping the top 10 in the world. short of the green and couldn’t make his par. he’s not, selfishly, but he did.” “This is a huge kind of stepping stone,” said The starting times were moved up to avoid a
Thomas missed a 10-footer for par in regulaMorikawa, who goes to No. 13 in the world, one forecast of thunderstorms, so the final round was tion, and a putt close to that same line for birdie spot ahead of Tiger Woods. “We got No. 1 out of broadcast on a delay, available live only on on the second extra hole. He was done in by a tee the way. We got No. 2. Let the gates just open and streaming. shot on No. 10 that wound up in the rough behind let’s keep going.” With no fans on the course, it was the wildest a tree, forcing him to pitch out 102 yards short of It was his second playoff since the PGA Tour re- finish that hardly anyone saw.