Morikawa has opportunity at Slam this year
AUGUSTA, Ga. — There is a dramatic scenario that awaits in Sunday’s Masters final round at Augusta National, and it involves Collin Morikawa.
Morikawa enters the day one shot behind leader Scottie Scheffler, and a Masters victory Sunday would give him three of the four legs of a career Grand Slam.
A win by Morikawa, who has won the 2020 British Open and 2021 PGA Championship, would send him to the U.S. Open in June at Pinehurst with a chance to become only the sixth player in history to win all four majors.
“It always crosses your mind,” Morikawa conceded of thinking about a Grand Slam. “If it doesn’t cross your mind, I don’t know what the hell your mind is thinking about. You’re purposely trying to block it out. For me, I have to allow that to come.’’
To do that, he’ll have to overcome Scheffler, who’s on one of the all-time heaters.
“Yeah, look, Scottie is the No. 1 player in the world for a reason, and what he’s done over the past few years is incredible,” Morikawa said. “But at the end of the day, it doesn’t scare me. I still know that at my best and at what I truly believe I can do.
“If you told me at the beginning of the week I’d be one back heading into Sunday, I would have taken that any time. It all comes together tomorrow, hopefully. But it’s going to be a grind, and I’m looking forward to that.
“Thankfully, I’ve already been able to win two [majors], so I can kind of go back on those experiences and just take that experience into tomorrow. It doesn’t mean tomorrow is going to be a perfect day.
“Doesn’t mean tomorrow is going to go exactly as I planned. But I know how to prep, at least, leading up tomorrow. I think I’ve got a pretty good plan, so hopefully we can execute it tomorrow.’’
➤ No one had a wilder day of emotional swings than Bryson DeChambeau, who had a share of the lead through 36 holes at 6-under and dropped to 2-under on the back nine after bogeys on 11, 12 and 16 and a double on the par-5 15th.
But he ended his day by holing out for birdie on the 18th hole from 80 yards to stay within four shots of the lead entering Sunday.
“I had a great break on 18,’’ he said. “I’ll take that any day of the week.’’ DeChambeau, who took the early lead in the tournament with a 7-under 65 on Thursday, said, “It’s very difficult to chase, but I’m going to take what I can on this golf course where I can, and I’ve got to make some putts. If I can make some putts tomorrow, I think I can have a good opportunity.’’
➤ Jason Day has been hearing it from the social media cynics all week about the new line of clothing he’s wearing, from Malbon. They are particularly baggy clothing and, with the high winds Friday, there were some funny social media barbs.
Day has confirmed that he was asked by Masters officials to remove a sweater vest he wore with large and loud logos of the clothing company. The tournament reportedly has a restriction on how large sponsor logos can be on players’ shirts.
“Yeah, they asked me to take the vest off [on Friday],” Day said. “They said, ‘Can you take it off ?’ I said, ‘Yeah, no worries.’ Respectfully, you do that because it’s all about the tournament here, and I understand that. I respect the tournament. That’s what we’re here to do is try and play and win the green jacket.’’
Day explained that the clothing company, as many of them do for their players, scripted each day’s outfits, and that vest was on the script for Friday.