Cal Golf: Collin Morikawa Aims to Win The Open While Learning the Ropes on European Links
One bad week in Scotland and the oddsmakers are jumping off Collin Morikawa heading into The (British) Open at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England.
The oldest of the four majors, the 149th Open gets started Thursday, with Morikawa set to tee off at 5:26 a.m. PT. He’s playing in a group with Corey Conners and Sebastian Munoz.
Fellow Cal alum Max Homa tees off at 7:32 a.m. PT on Thursday, along with Henrik Stenson and Matt Kuchar. Byeong Hun An, another ex-Cal golfer, goes off at 2:53 a.m. PT, along with Lucas Glover and Brandt Snedeker.
On Friday, Morikawa begins at 12:25 a.m. PT, Homa tees off at 2:31 a.m. PT, and An is set to go at 7:54 a.m. PT.
The William Hill Sports Book lists Homa, 30, as a 125-to-1 long shot to win the Claret Jug. That’s hardly surprising considering that Homa, despite having his best season on the PGA tour, is ranked No. 41 worldwide and has never won a major. An is listed at 400-to-1.
But Morikawa, who captured the 2020 PGA Championship, has seven top-10 finishes this season, including a victory at the Workday Championships, a runner-up finish at the Memorial and a tie for fourth place at the U.S. Open.
The 24-year-old finished among the top-20 in six of his seven most recent PGA tour stops before careening to a tie for 71st place at the Scottish Open last week in his debut on the European tour. It was Morikawa’s worst placing in 45 professional tournaments where he made the cut.
So, on the heels of his lone stinker four-round stinker in nearly four months, the William Hill Sports Book made the world’s fourth-ranked player a 40-to-1 shot to win this week.
Jon Rahm during a practice round this week.
Photo by Sandra Mailer, USA Today
Here’s how William Hill ranks the favorites:
Jon Rahm 7-to-1
Bryson DeChambeau 14-to-1
Dustin Johnson 15-to-1
Rory McIlroy 16-to-1
Xander Schauffele 16-to-1
Brooks Koepka 16-to-1
Justin Thomas 20-to-1
Jordan Spieth 20-to-1
Louis Oosthuizen 30-to-1
PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson, by the way, is listed at 70-to-1. But he’s 51 years old, has only one top-20 finish this season and seems more inclined these days to arrange made-for-TV events.
Morikawa, playing The Open for first time, told the Golf Channel this week he knows he has adjustments to make after his performance in Scotland.
He also sounded like his confidence is fully intact. Here’s what he said when asked about his goals:
“It’s to win. I’m not making the trip over here just to experience the Open or learn about it. I’m two years in as a pro now. Yes. it’s a tournament I’ve never played but I’ve done this for two years. I show up to tournaments, I show up to venues. This is a little different. It’s a little farther away from home but the belief is still there. So the end goal is obviously to win.”
Kyle Porter, golf writer for CBS Sports, is on board with Morikawa, listing him as his sleeper favorite:
Sleeper -- Collin Morikawa (40-1): What am I missing? The No. 4 player in the world is 40-1 to win The Open. Is he likely to win? Of course not, but if I can get the golfer who is almost certainly the best iron player on the planet at 40-1 at a major championship, I am taking that.
In a separate story, Porter picked Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka as his three favorites the among 21 players most likely to win at Royal St. George’s.
He tabbed Morikawa at No. 11:
11. Collin Morikawa: This is Collin Morikawa's ... first Open Championship? Due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year, he has not played in golf's oldest major yet, which is bizarre considering he's the No. 4 player in the world. The only thing more confusing than that is his number to win this week, which William Hill pegs at 40-1. Of the six majors played since last August, Morikawa has finished in the top eight in three of them (including a win at the PGA), and he's probably the best iron player in the world at a championship that demands such play.
Morikawa said got an education in Scotland playing on a links-style course with its sandy base, which can be harder and faster than a U.S. turf course.
“I think I’ve just got to learn golf out there. It’s very different but I’ve still got to stick to what I do best — ball striking, how do I get myself iron shots,” he said. “It’s soft so far. It’s very playable. You can land shots, you can land 5 irons on the greens and have them stop. So we’ll see what it’s like come Thursday, come the weekend.
“For me, learning what happened last week at the Scottish, just figuring out how to play a little better.”
Cover photo of Collin Morikawa at the U.S. Open by Orlando Ramirez, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo