Collin Morikawa Wins PGA Championship, Just His Second Major Ever, In Serious Style

Tiger Woods entered this week with 40-1 odds to win the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park. Collin Morikawa entered the week at 33-1. For the casual golf fan, that may seem odd, even with Woods’ limited schedule this year. Woods has won 15 majors, this week was just Morikawa’s second start in a major.

None of that matters, or at least it doesn’ effect the 23-year-old Morikawa, that’s how special he is. The Cal product delivered quite the message on Sunday, reading ‘golf world, you are now on notice.’

Morikawa began the final round two shots behind leader Dustin Johnson and by the turn had cut that deficit to just one shot as he, and pretty much everyone else still on the course had eyes on the Wanamaker Trophy. At one point there were seven players tied for the lead late on Sunday, but then Morikawa flipped a switch.

After coming up short with his approach shot on the Par 4 14th, he was faced with an uphill, short-sided chip shot. He showed off his spinny-pitch game and touch by jarring it to move to 11-under.

This wasn’t the shot of the day, however.

After making par on 15, Morikawa stepped to the tee at the driveable Par 4 16th. While the moment may have been too big for other 23-year-olds, who hadn’t been in this kind of position before, he pulled driver on the tee. It proved to be the right move as he hit it to seven-feet for eagle, which he made.

The 16th was the make-or-break hole down the stretch on Sunday with a tucked pin, and it certainly didn’t break Morikawa.

Hitting it to seven-feet on a 295 yard Par 4 on Sunday in just your second major championship ever? That’s one way to call game.

It was a flawless Sunday for Morikawa carding a bogey-free, 6-under 64 to win by two shots at 13-under. He led the field in strokes gained: total, strokes gained: putting and driving accuracy, which is a recipe for success at any golf tournament on any golf course on the planet.

Morikawa began his professional career making 22-consecutive cuts which included a win at the Barracuda Championship in July of 2019. After missing his first cut on Tour he answered back by winning the very next week at the Workday Charity Open just a few weeks ago.

He’s already become a star on Tour, but now, with his first of what is bound to be many, many major titles, it’s time to start paying even more attention to young man from LA.