Cal Golf: No Playoff Stumble This Time for Collin Morikawa - He Wins Workday Charity title

Second-year pro claims biggest career victory at Workday Charity Open in Dublin, Ohio

Collin Morikawa scored the biggest victory of his barely year-old PGA career, and he did it the hard way.

One month after faltering down the stretch and losing a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge, the 23-year-old Cal graduate made up three strokes on the final three holes, then beat veteran Justin Thomas on the third playoff hole to win the Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio on Sunday.

"It was crazy," Morikawa said. “Amazing, that's how the day went. It was a long, long 21 holes, but it was a grind. I knew from the start nothing was going to be given today.”

Morikawa became the first golfer since Tiger Woods to earn his second tour victory before missing a second cut. And he moved to No. 6 on the FedExCup standings.

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Both players made spectacular birdies on the first extra hole — Thomas sinking a 50-foot putt before Morikawa stayed alive by converting from 25-footer. 

“I figured I just had to make it,” Morikawa said of his response to Thomas’ shot. “Obviously, I wanted to put in really good speed, but it didn't really change much, other than if I missed, we're done. It's all over.”

Both shot par on the second hole, with Thomas missing a 10-foot birdie try to win. Morikawa claimed the title by tapping in a par put on the third extra hole.

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Morikawa takes home a winner’s purse of $1,116,000. That’s a far cry better than his $630,000 take at the Barracuda Championship at Reno late last July.

Thomas, 27, was attempting to win his third title of the year, the 13th of his career.

Morikawa, who completed his college eligibility in the spring of 2019, led through two rounds here before Thomas overtook him with a Saturday round of six-under 66. Morikawa played much better on Sunday— including a near hole-in-one on the fourth hole — but still trailed by three strokes with three holes to go.

Here's that tee shot for a near ace on the par-3 fourth:

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Morikawa picked up one stroke on each of the final three holes as Thomas bogeyed No. 16, Morikawa birdied No. 17 and Thomas bogeyed No. 18, sending the two to a playoff. Both players finished 72 holes at 19 under par, with Morikawa posting his third round of 66 or better over four days.

“I just wanted a chance coming down the stretch," Morikawa said. "I’m excited right now I’m so happy.”

Thomas blamed himself for the outcome.

“It was quite the bizarre day. It would have been a fun day to have some fans just in terms of the ups and downs and the shot-making,” Thomas said. “It's completely unacceptable to give up a three-shot lead with three to go. I'm upset, I'm disappointed in myself, but at the end of the day it's over with now.”

Thomas did not have a bogey through the first 55 holes here, but let Morikawa back when he bogeyed the second and third holes on Sunday. Morikawa had birdies on the first and fourth holes, pulling within one stroke.

“Being three shots back to Justin Thomas, I know I just had to give it to him and I had to make a lot of birdies from the start,” Morikawa said.

His tee shot on the par-3 fourth was dead-on, gently bouncing off the stick to barely a hole-in-one.

Morikawa followed that with a brilliant second shot off the fairway on the par-5 fifth hole, leaving his 231-yard approach just three inches from the hole. He tapped in for an eagle, and had the lead.

Thomas regained the lead when he birdied four straight holes through No. 11, and when he made an eagle on No. 15 he had a three-stroke lead with three to play.

This was the second of five PGA events that went to a playoff held since golf re-opened after the break for COVID-19, ad Morikawa was involved in both.

He lost to Daniel Berger on the first playoff hole, missing a 3-foot putt, at the Charles Schwab Challenge in mid-June after blowing a putt on the 18th that could have clinched the victory.

Morikawa then finished 64th the next week at the RBC Heritage before missing the cut for the first time in his professional career at the Travelers Championship two weeks ago. He took last weekend off to spend time with his girlfriend and family and arrived at Dublin, Ohio, ready to deliver the best performance of his young PGA career.

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Here is Thomas' remarkable birdie putt on first playoff hole

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

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