Coliin Morikawa Hopes to Catch His Second Wind at the Ryder Cup

Collin Morikawa, coming off his second consecutive PGA Tour season without a victory, was not a lock to earn a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

But he was a captain’s selection by Keegan Bradley and believes his experience in international team play provides his team an edge when competition against the European squad begins Friday at Bethpage Black in New York.

Asked this week about his approach to the 45th Ryder Cup, Morikawa acknowledged this is important to him.

“You want to be on,” he said. “I know I haven’t been exactly who I want to be but I know my game can still go out there and help my teammates put points on the board.”

Morikawa will be paired with Harris English in a foursome match against Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood at 4:42 a.m. PT on Friday. The matchups in the four-ball competitions will be revealed after foursome play.

The 28-year-old Cal grad, six times a winner on the tour and a two-major champion, has fared well in team competitions.

Collin Morikawa during a practice round at Bethpage Black. | Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

He made his Ryder Cup debut in 2021 and won decisive match for the U.S. He was part of the 2023 squad that lost in Rome and a member of Presidents Cup teams in 2022 and and ’24 that both prevailed.

He has a personal record of 4-3-1 in the Ryder Cup, including 2-1 in four-ball and foursomes events, but 0-1-1 in singles play.

The Ryder Cup will contest four foursomes in the morning sessions and four four-ball matches in the afternoons on Friday and Saturday. All 12 players on each team will compete in singles play Sunday.

The first team to won 14 1/2 points is declared Ryder Cup champ. If the teams finish in a 14-14 tie, Europe will retain the Cup as defending champion. Europe won 16 1/2 to 11 1/2 two years ago.

“There was a sour taste leaving Rome. I think that was my first team loss that I’ve ever had, even amateur golf,” Morikawa said. “It felt really weird. It wasn’t an OK feeling.

“For the past couple years I wouldn’t say it’s haunted me, but it’s definitely woke me up when I was on the verge of making this team to making sure I was going to give everything that I could.”

Bethpage Black was pelted with heavy rains on Thursday but the forecast is for improved weather conditions through the weekend with perhaps some persistent rains early Friday.

Either way, Morikawa is eager for the home crowd to provide his team with an edge. He described fans through the practice rounds as being “tame,” but expects the enthusiasm to ramp up.

"I hope Friday is just absolute chaos," Morikawa said. "I'm all for it. We want it. We want to use that to our advantage.”

He said said the U.S. team would welcome the "craziness of New York and the rest of the country that people are traveling in from . . . I think we really have to tap into that," he said. "I hope they come strong.”

Morikawa hopes his game also rises to the moment after another year he called frustrating and is prompting him to make necessary changes in his game. He said this type of team event creates a different vibe than even the final round of a tournament where he is contending.

“I think these weeks just pull out the best in you, especially when you have a home crowd and people are cheering you on and you want to make great shots,” he said.

“Sometimes your focus gets that much more intentional. You want to step up to the plate and you don’t want to let not only the team down but the rest of the country, essentially, that is rooting you on.”

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