Collin Morikawa Revels in New Role as PGA DC: Host of Champions Dinner

As golf traditions go, this isn’t exactly the Masters’ green jacket.

Turns out they have a champions dinner at the PGA Championship. The honor of settling on a menu falls to the defending champion. So does picking up the tab.

Collin Morikawa, as winner of the event last year at Harding Park in San Francisco, apparently wasn’t aware this was part of the deal.

“No. But I’m glad it is.”

The dinner, which was held Tuesday night, dates back to the 1965 PGA. Nowadays, spouses and family members are welcome.

Asked about constructing a menu, Morikawa explained, “It was kind of how much food can you just throw at everyone. But no, I gave people the option of fish or fried chicken, so either you go healthy or you don’t go healthy.”

The entree was either fish or southern fried chicken, but perhaps the most popular item was platter that included sliced porterhouse steak.

“Everyone was loving that, just to kind of pick on,” Morikawa said. “It’s a great family style, and obviously going through COVID and everything, you’re so used to takeout boxes – maybe I should have given everyone a takeout box and just told them to go eat in their room. That would have been new.”

Here’s the full menu. Kind of makes you a little hungry, right?

“It was just good to have people, like, share food and just have people talk to each other while they passed the plates. I think we all missed that,” he added. “The dinner was just kind of put together, foods that I love, and it was an awesome night really.

“It was so cool to talk to a bunch of champions, not just champions that I know, but just guys that are older that aren’t on Tour anymore, just to kind of hear stories from them. It’s a really meaningful night.”

One thing Morikawa had to come to grips with was his nickname for the week. This is the first time Morikawa has defended any of his college or PGA tour victories, so he’s not quite sure how he’s supposed to approach things.

“People came up to me and called me DC. I don’t know what that means,” he said. “Obviously, it means defending champ. I don’t know . . . I don’t feel an extra weight.

“I feel like people look at you and they know you won last year. I’m coming out here to win. I see these guys every single day. I see them every week. It really doesn’t change much.”

If the PGA this year were held again at Harding Park, Morikawa acknowledged he might feel differently. But play begins Thursday at Kiawah Island off South Carolina.

“To be honest, I think everyone’s coming out here to win,” he said. “I don’t think there’s an added pressure I need to add to myself because I’m doing all my front work that I normally would. I wouldn’t do something different because I’m defending.

“I’m sticking to know what works. I’m going to do that Monday through Wednesday and hopefully by ready by Thursday and kind of go from there.”

Cover photo of Collin Morikawa by Brad Penner, USA Today

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