The swing was right. Collin Morikawa confidently froze after his follow-through on his tee shot on the 201-yard, par-3 4th hole at Muirfield Village Golf Club, then coolly slid the club down his hands. The club was right. Morikawa hit 6-iron, and its accuracy appeared to be as right as its distance. The bounces were right at the hole. One bounce, two bounces, three bounces, four, then a roll.
The ball bounced out and rolled a few inches away.
That was just not right.
Morikawa did nothing wrong. He was robbed of at least a share of the lead during the fourth round of the Workday Charity Open. He was robbed of a hole in one.
“Oh my goodness. I want my money back,” analyst Nick Faldo said on the broadcast.
Morikawa raised his hands to his head. He tossed his tee away. He smiled.
Morikawa had led after the first round. He had led after the second round. He stumbled during Saturday’s third round, shooting an even-par 72 and falling out of the lead. He finished the 4th with a birdie. He was right again.
“It was really up and down,” Morikawa said after the third round. “I put myself in spots you couldn’t put yourself in. … Couldn’t really figure out wind directions, how much to adjust. But whole new day tomorrow and kind of glad I fought it out through even par and got myself three back, so that can change really quickly tomorrow.”
Indeed.