Morikawa captures WGC Workday; players wear their support for Tiger
PGA champion Morikawa shook off an early mistake and played a steady hand on a Concession golf course in Bradenton known for calamity, closing with a 3-under-par 69 for a three-shot victory in the Workday Championship.
Morikawa picked up a few short-game tips from major champions — Mark O’Meara on his putting, Concession member Paul Azinger on the chipping — and he says it carried him to another big win.
And there was a tribute to Tiger Woods, his golf idol growing up.
“We don’t say ‘thank you’ enough,” Morikawa said, referring to how much Woods has raised the profile and prize money in golf.
He also mentioned his grandfather dying a month ago and began to get emotional.
Morikawa won by three over Brooks Koepka
(70), Viktor Hovland
(67) and Billy Horschel
(70).
He finished at 18-under 270 and became the 24th player to win a major and a World Golf Championship title since this series began in 1999. He joined Woods as the only players to win both before turning 25.
There were red numbers on the board and on the golf course, with several players wearing red shirts and black pants — the Sunday colors of Woods — as a show of support as Woods recovers from career-threatening leg injuries from his car crash in Los Angeles last Tuesday.
“Red and black, we know that’s what Tiger does on Sundays, so just to join in and just let Tiger know we’re supporting him in the best way we can,” Tony Finau said. “We’re still playing and we miss him out here, but it was cool just to be a part of that.”
Morikawa didn’t have the colors, but he had the game.
PGA TOUR
Branden Grace closed eagle-birdie Sunday to win the Puerto Rico Open in Rio Grande, an emotional triumph following his father’s January death after a month-long fight with the coronavirus.
Grace holed out from a greenside bunker for eagle on the par-4 17th and birdied the par-5 18th for a one-stroke victory over Jhonattan Vegas at windy Grand Reserve.
The 32-year-old South African player won for the second time on the PGA Tour and 13th worldwide, closing with a 6-under 66 to finish at 19-under 269.
LPGA TOUR
Nelly Korda seized control with three early birdies and finished with 12 straight pars for a 3under 69 to win the Gainbridge LPGA in Orlando, giving the Korda family two victories to start the season.
Her older sister, Jessica, won the season-opening Tournament of Champions last month in Orlando.
Korda won for the first time on American soil — her other three LPGA wins were in Australia and twice in Taiwan — and the first time with her parents watching. Her father, Petr Korda, is a former Australian Open tennis champion.
On the other side of the course, Annika Sorenstam wrapped up her return after more than 12 years of retirement with a par on the ninth hole for a 76, finishing last among the 74 players who made the cut.
The 50-year-old Swede was making this one-time appearance because Lake Nona has been her home course for two decades.
“I’m just thankful being here, playing here and being able to make the cut,” Sorenstam said. “I think I never gave up, even though it was not
really going my way and I wasn’t hitting as well as I should be to be out here. The purpose was to get some tournament rounds, and I did that.”
Korda, who finished at 16-under 272, began the final round with a oneshot lead over rookie Patty Tavatanakit, the former UCLA star who fell back quickly and wound up with 74 to tie for fifth.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
Kevin Sutherland
chipped in for the only birdie of the final round
on No. 16 and had a tap-in for another on the next hole, shooting a 4-under 69 to overtake Mike Weir
in the Colorguard Classic in Tucson, Arizona.
Sutherland finished at 15-under, two ahead of Weir, three up on Steve Stricker and Scott Parel.
Weir bogeyed two of the final three holes to 73.
Phil Mickelson’s bid to win his first three PGA Tour Champions starts came to a halt with a triple bogey on the par-4 ninth. He shot 73 to finish 11 shots back.
The deadline for the Miami Herald’s 2021 Startup Pitch Competition is almost here.
If your startup is looking for a boost, this could be the key. But you’ll need to act fast.
South Florida’s longest-standing competition is open to startups founded no earlier than Jan. 1, 2016. All must be based in
Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach or Monroe counties.
The Startup Pitch Competition has two tracks.
In the Community Track, entries must be for-profit businesses with a minimum viable product; the companies must be less 5 years old.
Enter, and your plan could be reviewed by our panel of wellconnected judges and investors, including Chef Marcus Samuelsson, Shutterstock founder
Jon Oringer and investor David Blumberg, along with some of the region’s savviest tech stalwarts.
All Community finalists also will receive pitch coaching by Melissa Krinzman, co-founder of locally based investors Krillion Ventures.
In the FIU Track, entries can be ideas or actual businesses less than 5 years old.
The track is open only to students, alumni and faculty of FIU. The track is sponsored by Florida International University College of Business.
FIU Track judges come from the FIU community. All have been judging for several years and bring a wealth of experience that can help a team prepare for success.
The deadline for all entries
is Tuesday at 11:59 p.m.
As always, winners will be profiled in the Miami Herald’s Business Monday.
Meanwhile, here’s a look back at three of last year’s top performers. For more stories about past winners, go to miamiherald.com/news/ business/business-planchallenge/, where you will also find rules and tips for both tracks.