Cal Golf: Collin Morikawa Not Satisfied, But Tied For Fourth After Second Round

Collin Morikawa didn’t feel on his game Friday. He complained that more than once he pulled the wrong club from his bag before a tee shot. He said he wasn’t hitting his irons well.

But he came away from the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge with a sense of accomplishment — a sense of belonging — after firing a three-under par 67 to sit in a tie for fourth place at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

“Absolutely. That’s what the best players do week in and week out. That’s why they are the best players, and that’s where I want to be,” the 23-year-old former Cal star told the Golf Channel when asked about shooting a solid score even when he didn’t feel good about the way he played.

Morikawa delivered a bogey-free round and is at nine-under par through 36 holes, two strokes off the lead. He is tied for third with Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy, all at 131.

Harold Varner III, the first-round co-leader, is alone at the top the field at 129, 11 under par after shooting a 66 on Friday. Jordan Spieth and Bryson DeChambeau are tied for second, one stroke off the pace, in the first PGA event since the tour was shuttered by the coronavirus in March.

Morikawa has just one bogey over the past 35 holes, despite feeling like he can be much better than he was Friday.

“When you’re not on your `A’ game to be able to scrape out a three- or four-under par . . . and then when you’re on, you just keep going, low and low,” Morikawa said. “So, to be within the mix, not having my game today, but with having two more days left, I’m excited.”

Morikawa’s Friday scorecard included three birdies and 15 pars. Through two rounds, he has 11 birdies and just two bogeys.

He has now made the cut in 22 consecutive PGA events (21 as a pro) and is within three of matching Tiger Woods’ record of 25 successful cuts to begin a career.

“I think from top to bottom, I’ll be ready for the weekend,” Morikawa said.

Since turning pro last June after graduating from Cal, Morikawa has recorded six top-10 finishes. He won the Barracuda Championship in Reno last July, where his winner’s check was for $630,000.

The Charles Schwab Challenge is a much higher-profile event, featuring a $7.5 million prize purse, with $1.35 million set to go to the winner.

Former Cal player Byeong-Hun An, who shot a first-round 67, checked in with a one-over 71 on Friday and barely made the cut at two-under 138. He is part of a 21-way tie for 47th place.

Max Homa, another former Golden Bear, missed the cut by one stroke after bogeying the final hole Friday. He posted a 69 after shooting 70 in the opening round and finished one-under for two days, leaving him tied for 68th place.

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

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