Cal Golf: Can Collin Morikawa Turn The Game Upside Down Again This Week?

Former Cal star goes for back-to-back victories at Muirfield Village

Tiger Woods is back. Just check the ESPN or Golf Channel websites and you’ll find no shortage of content related to Tiger’s return to the PGA tour this week for the Memorial, a tournament Woods has won five times.

The Memorial is Jack Nicklaus’ event, played on his course at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.

Tiger is not the favorite, but he is the headliner. As usual.

Collin Morikawa also will play the tournament, a week after winning the Workday Charity Open on the same course. And his former Cal coach thinks he can win again.

“Confidence goes a long way for Collin, but for all athletes. Once you have a little bit of confidence, it can brew into a monster,” Walter Chun said of his former star player. “And now that Collin has got his second wind and he’s played well at Muirfield, I can’t see any reason why he can’t make it back-to-back wins.”

Morikawa is starting to get some attention, but no one in the game over the past 40 years has attracted the spotlight the way Woods deservedly does.

“There’s no question Tiger Woods is the role model for so many golfers and he’s had the target on his back for decades now,” Chun said. “That’s what the best athletes want. They want to be recognized as the guy you’ve got to beat.

“That’s what the Warriors endured. They stepped up and they wanted that. I think Collin wants that stage.”

Morikawa, just 23 years old and one year out out of Cal, has climbed to No. 6 in the FedEx Cup rankings, No. 8 on the 2020 PGA money list ($3,034,049), and No.13 in the world golf rankings. He is one spot ahead of Woods on the latter list.

He beat veteran Justin Thomas on the third hole of a playoff Sunday after rallying from three strokes down with three holes to play on the final 18. He now has two career victories in barely 13 months, and he won’t ever sneak up on the field again.

"I think he welcomes having a target on his back and being the kid (who is) talked about. He welcomes any and all challenges,” Chun said. "Now instead of him being the chaser, he’s the chasee . . . it’s something different, something new for him. But again, he welcomes those kinds of different obstacles or challenges because it makes him grow as a person, makes him grow as a golfer.

“I think he’ll very much welcome this change in perspective, whether it’s golf fans or his competitors on the tour. I’m sure PGA players know he’s a talented young man and he’s very gifted. But I think he’s gained a little bit more respect in their eyes.”

Although the Memorial is played on the same course, Muirfield Village is expected to look — and play — different this week. Different pin placements. Deeper rough. Faster greens.

“The greens may be like cement,” Chun said.

Last week’s scoring average was 71.85, compared to a 72.08 average at last year’s Memorial, according to the Golf Channel.

“The original setup this week was intended to be easier, softer greens, a little slower, and then they're going to let the rough grow to next week and ultimately kind of dry the greens out, firm up, get them faster,” said Rickie Fowler, who tied for 22nd at the Workday event.

“It's supposed to be harder next week, but that's all going to be kind of weather dependent, and there's nothing we can control on that front.”

*** Here's a look at the Memorial from a gambling perspective: 

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Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo

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