Morikawa wins into playoffs
In just his eighth start on the PGA Tour, Collin Morikawa is a champion.
It wasn’t inevitable, but close with the way he has been playing lately.
Morikawa outlasted Troy Merritt to win The Barracuda Championship on Sunday at Montreux Golf & Country Club in Reno, Nevada. Morikawa finished with 47 points while Merritt was second with 44 and John Chin, Morikawa’s playing partner Sunday, was third with 40.
Morikawa (22 years, 5 months, 22 days old) won $630,000 and picked up 300 points in the FedExCup playoffs. He also earned a spot in next month’s FedExCup playoffs.
Morikawa had seven birdies Sunday, two on the front nine to earn 14 points, his best round of the week. On the back nine, he traded the lead with Merritt. Morikawa birdied No. 18, meaning Merritt had to make an eagle to win, but his 50-foot putt went past the cup.
Morikawa is the first special temporary member to win on Tour since Shane Lowry in the 2015 World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Classic.
The top-five finish was Morikawa’s third consecutive on Tour.
Morikawa has played his past 13 rounds on the PGA Tour under par. He has won almost $2 million in his seven PGA Tour starts this season after playing for Cal last year.
“The way the summer started, I just kept pushing myself, keep doing better, keep shooting low scores and put yourself in those positions,” Morikawa said. “This win means everything to me, and to get into the playoffs is something special.”
He also gets a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and will get to play in some big tournaments: The Players Championship, the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the PGA Championship.
“I think I’m ready. This proves that I am ready. To get this first win off my back means a lot. It’s going to open just a lot more confidence and doors for me,” Morikawa said. “We’ve just got to keep taking advantage of the opportunities. I love being out here every single week. It’s so much fun, especially when guys are taking it low. It’s awesome when people are playing at their best and you’re kind of just pushing right up against them.”