Finally, there was no need for the kind of US PGA Championship playoffs that could have risked social distancing intrusions. From the wave of data that will now surround Collin Morikawa, the last big winner of golf, one element stands out: just 15 months ago he was a student.
Morikawa marched through a dumb Sunday scene at Harding Park, which had often seen tires of six- and seven-rider in front of the lead. He produced the shot of the tournament, just in time, with a towering drive up to 2.5 meters (8ft) from the par four 16th gat his pin.
When he threw his putt home to a nobleman, the Wanamaker Trophy was his barring meltdown. The 23-year-old, who has been turning heads since joining the professional ranks last summer, won the U.S. PGA Tour by two to 13 under par. His last round of 64 emphasizes a nervous approach in what was only his second major appearance.
It does not have to be that simple.
If we did not already know it, it is dying in our faces now: golf has a new breed of superstar, with Morikawa at the forefront. He has missed as many cuts as a professional – one – because he has claimed important titles. Confirmation that he has jumped within the top five of the world will probably arrive Monday morning.
“It’s great,” he said. ‘It’s been a life goal, apparently as a little kid, looking at everyone watching when I was growing up, all these professionals, and this is always what I wanted to do. I felt very comfortable from the beginning.
“As an amateur, junior golfer, who turned professional last year, but to finally finish it and get out here in San Francisco, almost my second home where I have spent the last four years is pretty special. . “
Fortune favored Morikawa. On the 14th, a station shot up for troublesome rough instead of almost at right angles into the fairway. Two shots later, Morikawa was in for a crucial birdie. His only next misstep was an amusing and underage one: Morikawa lifted the trophy with such force that the lid flew away.
Paul Casey, Morikawa’s senior for two decades, has emerged as the champion’s biggest threat. Casey placed a Sunday 66, as eight shots proved better than his playing partner, Brooks Koepka. As the defending champion, Koepka preferred to make a lot of noise about upstaging Dustin Johnson on the U.S. Four PGA Tour. Johnson held the final putt of the tournament to compete with Casey at 11 under. Too small, too late, was the cry. Koepka just capitulated.
Casey, who returned just one day four bogey, did not do much wrong. Morikawa proved too good, as is likely to become a theme. “Collin deserves it thoroughly,” Casey said. ‘I play phenomenal golf and there’s nothing I could change. I’m very, very happy with how I played. I had a great attitude, stayed very calm and stayed in the present. It was not enough. ”
A Leaderboard smear with youthful power saw Matthew Wolff and Scottie Scheffler finish fourth. Cameron Champ, for so long an integral part of the proceedings, bound 10th. There were old hands on sight: Jason Day shared fourth on 10 under. Justin Rose finished a shot further back and ninth.
Back-to-back 66s over the weekend meant Bryson DeChambeau matched Day, Wolff, Scheffler and Tony Finau. According to DeChambeau, this result “super validates” lockdown work completely transformed his physique and led to an increase in power. “I’ve been playing great golf all week,” DeChambeau said. ‘I was finally able to finish in the top five in a major. That’s a great accolade and next step is to win. I feel like my game is good enough. ”
Rory McIlroy signed off with a 68, meaning a tie for 33rd. More notable than birds and bogeys of the fourth round was McIlroy’s legitimate swipe at Koepka, who had aspirations after Johnson’s only major success during Saturday’s media duties. “I saw the golf last night and heard the interview and was just a little surprised by what he said,” McIlroy admitted. ‘Whether he’s trying to play mind games or not … if he’s trying to play mind games, he’s trying to do it to the wrong person. I don’t think DJ really cares much about that.
“I try to respect everyone here. Everyone is a great player. If you won a big championship, you’re a hell of a player. Does not mean you have won one ‘only’; you won one, and you had to do a lot of good things to do that. It’s kind of hard to beat a man who wins 21 on the PGA Tour, which is three times what Brooks has. “
Koepka will probably rethink his strategy, but McIlroy’s sentiment was solid.
