Collin Morikawa has only played five tournaments this season and hasn’t finished better than T-55th since April. He has a pretty good excuse for his on-course inconsistency, though.
In addition to battling a back issue, Morikawa has been quite busy at home. His wife, Kat, recently delivered the couple’s first baby, and the two-time major winner has spent more time at home with his young family.
Collin Morikawa Returns After Wife Delivers Couple’s First Child
He’s back on the course this week for the RBC Canadian Open with the vaunted “perspective” so many PGA Tour players talk about after becoming fathers.
“A lot of people on Tour have given me advice, a lot of friends. And just a different perspective on life, I think,” Morikawa told reporters on June 10 ahead of the RBC Canadian Open. “I’m just enjoying every day. I can stare at a camera, I can stare at my little one just non-stop and kind of forget about what else is going on.
“I know at the same time I still have a job to do when I’m out here and that’s what’s great kind of being back. But at the same time when I’m out there playing you’re kind of playing a little bit differently, your mind’s in a different spot. I think I’m a lot more positive out there and hopefully I can kind of just allow my body to relax and go out and play golf and enjoy it again.”
Morikawa acknowledged practice has taken a slight backseat recently — “not much” he said with a laugh when asked about his recent practice load. The back injury that caused him to withdraw from The Players lingered, and he admitted it was good to get “a full reset” during his time away.
“I think after that I’ve just been able to relax a little bit more. There’s still a trust factor that I’m looking for that I’m trying to find this week, I think, going into tomorrow and into next week essentially. But it’s a lot better of a swing than I’ve been putting on and that’s for me a positive thing. I think when the body fully is able to kind of have that last little puzzle piece of fully relaxing, I think the game’s going to be exactly how I want.”
Collin Morikawa Could Be Sleeper for US Open at Shinnecock Hills
It’s hard to say a two-time major winner like Morikawa is a sleeper in any tournament he plays. However, he’s currently listed at 40-1 to win the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, where he’d typically seem like a good fit. The course will certainly demand some length off the tee, but it’s unlikely to be the brute many have come to expect from USGA setups. That helps a player like Morikawa who is not a bomber.
Morikawa’s accuracy off the tee should be rewarded, too, and having that advantage will only accentuate ball striking that is elite when he’s playing up to his potential.
Interestingly, Golf.com recently noted similarities to The Open Championships as well as grass similar to the West Coast. Morikawa’s two major wins: a PGA Championship in California and an Open Championship.
“Driving accuracy will still be a priority. Iron play and touch around the greens will be a must,” Golf.com’s Brady Kannon wrote. “(Scottie) Scheffler spoke about how tough the greens are — undulated, fast, firm, and as the wind continues to dry them out, they will become even tougher to negotiate as the championship rolls on.”
Collin Morikawa Makes Admission After Major Personal News Before US Open