On Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Collin Morikawa experienced one of the toughest losses of his career.
The two-time major winner looked untouchable on Saturday. While wind and glassy greens sent some star’s scores soaring, Morikawa gutted out a five-under 67 to take the 54-hole lead.
With the tournament offering a $4 million winner’s prize, a victory would have been meaningful for anyone — but especially so for Morikawa who, despite having two major titles among his six PGA Tour wins, hasn’t won since late 2023.
The thought of finally ending his winless drought may have even crossed his mind as he walked to Bay Hill’s 16th hole on Sunday, still in the lead.
One problem. Russell Henley also had shot a 67 in the difficult third round to get within one shot of Morikawa. He remained one back when the pairing reached 16, but that was about to change in dramatic fashion.
After narrowly missing the green with his second shot on the par 5, Henley chipped in for a tournament-changing eagle, one that the NBC TV broadcast in part missed due to a badly timed commercial break. Morikawa could manage only a par. The late two-shot swing gave Henley the lead, which he successfully held onto over the final two holes to claim victory.
Morikawa was in no mood to speak with reporters after the shocking loss; he skipped out of Bay Hill without a post-round press conference.
But on Monday morning, he took to Instagram to break his silence.
“No excuses. Never had any, but always a nice reminder,” Morikawa wrote. “Honestly though, this one stings.”
Making the moment more painful is the fact that this is the second time he’s had to settle for runner-up this season, having previously finished second at the season-opening Sentry. Given Morikawa’s elite status, his $2.2 million check for second at Bay Hill and $2.16 million for his efforts at the Sentry will likely do little to salve his wounds.
One thing that certainly would do the trick is a victory at a bigger tournament, with an even bigger purse. This week’s Players Championship presents just such an opportunity. The champion of the PGA Tour’s flagship event will take home $4.5 million, the biggest winner’s share in golf.
