The talk early in the week leading up to the PGA Championship at the TPC Harding Park in San Francisco was the young brigade of California players could be a force.
Then 23-year-old Collin Morikawa, a Cal-Berkeley graduate, made that statement come true as he pulled away down the stretch to get the win with a final round of 64..
Morikawa joins Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Rory McIlroy as the only four people to win a PGA Championship at the age of 23. He is also only the second player since 1934 to win a major in his second major appearance. He is the 10th major champion to shoot four rounds in the 60’s.
Third round leader Dustin Johnson finished in a tie for second at 11-under with Paul Casey. Casey shot a 4-under 66 in the final round.
Two-time defending PGA champ Brooks Koepka, who started the day in striking distance finished tied for 29th following a four-over 74 that left him 3-under for the tournament.
Morikawa now joins the elite club of major champions – at the tender age of 23.
“It’s amazing. It’s been a life goal, obviously as a little kid, kind of watching everyone grow up, all these professionals, and this is always what I’ve wanted to do,” said Morikawa. “I felt very comfortable from the start. As an amateur, junior golfer, turning professional last year, but to finally close it off and come out here in San Francisco, pretty much my second home where I spent the last four years, is pretty special.”
Casey could only applaud the effort from Morikawa.
“Look, I played phenomenal golf and there’s nothing I would change. I’m very, very happy with how I played. Great attitude. Stayed very calm and stayed in the present. Wasn’t enough,” said Casey. “The glorious shots Collin hit like on 16 to make eagle, you have to tip your cap. When he popped up on Tour not that long ago, those guys who were paying attention like myself knew that this was something special, and he’s proved it today. He’s already sort of proved it but he’s really stamped his authority of how good he is today.”
Koepka, while disappointed, could only sing the praises of the winner.
“He’s a hell of a player. He’s really good,” said Koepka of Morikawa. “You see these guys coming out of college now, they are ready to win, and prime example. I think of that group, him, Matt Wolff, Viktor Hovland, it’s impressive what they do. They come out of college and they’re ready to play out here. Hat’s off to him.”
The back nine was insane on the final day.
At 4:29 p.m. there were six guys tied for the lead at 10-under. After Matthew Wolff birdied the 18th, that number grew to seven tied for the lead, with Wolff in with the clubhouse lead.
At 4:49 p.m. Morikawa broke the tie when he chipped in from a tough lie at the 14th to go to 11-under.
Two holes later Morikawa broke it open when his drive on the short par four 16th ended up on the green leaving him a seven-foot putt for eagle that he drained to move to 13-under and a two-shot lead.
It will likely go down as one of the greatest drives in major history. It was a shot – hitting the driver and going for the green – that Morikawa did not consider earlier in the week.
“By Wednesday night, I had no plans on going for 16 at all. I told Colt Knost, he saw me Wednesday afternoon practicing on there, and he asked me if I was ever going to go for it. I told him a quick no, it’s too much into the wind, why go for it,” explained Morikawa. “I didn’t think the pin was going to be where it was. You know, my caddie, it was like 278 to the front, and just a good drive for me. It was going to land just short of that in this weather – it’s going to bounce on up. He looked at me, he counted off and asked me what I wanted to do and I told him, let’s hit a good drive.”
By Dennis Miller