Five Years Later, Collin Morikawa Takes Aim at Another Open Title

Now 29 years old and a father, Collin Morikawa returns to England this week, where five years ago he won The Open Championship at Royal St. George.

Morikawa — along with fellow Cal alums Max Homa and Michael Kim — is among 156 golfers who will begin play Thursday at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England for the 154th Open Championship.

Morikawa, whose wife Kat gave birth to their first child in early June, has played well in three starts since the baby arrived. At least for now, the couple has decided to keep the child’s gender and name private.

Morikawa tied for 29th at the RBC Canadian Open, tied for 17th at the U.S. Open and finished third at the Travelers Championship on June 25 after shooting 64 and 61 over the final two rounds.

Here are opening-round tee times for the three Golden Bears:

-- Morikawa will tee off at 6:42 a.m. PT on Thursday (2:42 p.m. in England)

-- Kim goes off at 10:46 p.m. Wednesday (6:46 a.m. Thursday local)

-- Homa gets started at 11:08 p.m. Wednesday (7:08 a.m. Thursday local)

Players will contend for a $3.2 million first prize from the total purse of $17.75 million, both Open records (although both are the lowest among the four majors).

Can Morikawa pocket his third major?

The experts, not surprisingly, are picking world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, with No. 2 Rory McIlroy pegged second by many. England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who has yet to win in 44 major starts, will be a local favorite.

ESPN projects Morikawa at No. 11. Here’s what Mark Schlabach had to say:

“Morikawa has battled through a back injury the past few months but has still played surprisingly well. He carded a 9-under 61 in the final round of the Travelers Championship and finished third, narrowly missing a playoff. The 2021 Champion Golfer of the Year at Royal St. George's, Morikawa leads the tour in approach (.842) and is seventh in driving accuracy (69.4%). But he'll have to get more out of his short game this week to win a second Claret Jug.”

Rob Bolton, writing for PGATour.com, has Morikawa at No. 2 in his pre-tournament power ratings (behind Fleetwood), with this analysis:

“With noise about his back quiet and with the healthy birth of his firstborn behind him, it’s all systems go for the 2021 Open champ. Chased an up-and-down T17 at the U.S. Open with a solo third at the Travelers Championship.”

Exactly when Sunday’s final round gets started will depend on how Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal between England and Argentina goes. If England advances to Sunday’s championship match, scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. in Britain, Open officials could move up tee times to avoid a conflict. Golf is expected to wrap up at about 6:30 p.m. local time, but a potential playoff could extend it into the start of the soccer match.

Collin Morikawa

Age: 29

World ranking: 7

Career victories: 7

Career earnings: $51,164,991

2026: Won AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in in February; seven top-25 finishes; tied for seventh at the Masters, tied for 55th at the PGA Championship, tied for 17th at the U.S. Open.

Open Championship history: This is Morikawa’s sixth start at the Open, which he won in 2021. He missed the cut last year after shooting 7 over through 36 holes.

Major history: Won the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open Championship

Max Homa

Age: 35

World ranking: 74

Career victories: 6

Career earnings: $31,515,902

2026: Five top-25 finishes, including second place at the John Deere Classic on July 2; tied for ninth at the Masters, missed the cut at the PGA Championship, did not play the U.S. Open.

Open Championship history: This is Homa’s fifth start at the Open, including a tie for 10th in 2023. He did not play the event in 2025 after a tie for 43rd place in 2024.

Major history: Best finish in any of the four majors was a tie for third at the 2024 Masters

Michael Kim

Age: 33 (today is his birthday)

World ranking: 55

Career victories: 1

Career earnings: $13,290,045

2026: Five top-25 finishes, including a tie for second at the Valero Texas One in April; missed cut at the Masters; tied for 44th at the PGA Championship, tied for 43rd at the U.S. Open.

Open Championship history: This is Kim’s fourth start at the Open. His best finish was a tie for 35th in 2018. He missed the cut last year, posting a 4-over score through 36 holes.

Major history: A tie for 13th at the 2013 U.S. Open is his best finish at one of the four majors.

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