Collin Morikawa wins the PGA Championship for first major title
Collin Morikawa celebrates with caddie Jonathan Jakovac at TPC Harding Park.
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Collin Morikawa is no longer a future star.
He is a star. Right now.
Morikawa shot a six-under 64 on Sunday at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco to win the PGA Championship by two shots over Paul Casey and Dustin Johnson. It is the 23-year-old Morikawa’s first victory in a major championship, and third victory overall, since turning pro just over a year ago. He is the ninth player all-time to win the PGA Championship in his debut.
Two shots won Morikawa the title.
Tied for the lead at 10 under with seven other players while playing the par-4 14th hole, Morikawa had hit his approach shot short – then chipped in from about 54 feet to move to 11 under alone.
Two holes later, Morikawa sealed it. On the 294-yard, par-4 16th, Morikawa drove the green, his ball taking five hops before nestling about 7 feet away. He would roll in the putt to move to 13 under and take a two-shot lead.
From there, he would hang on. He parred the 17th. On 18, he hit his drive into the middle of the fairway and his approach just over the flag, then two-putted for par.
Casey shot a four-under 66 to finish two shots back. Finishing three shots back were Scottie Scheffler, Matthew Wolff, Jason Day, Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau.
Two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka struggled. He made six bogeys, shot a 74 and finished 10 shots back.
Three takeaways
Collin Morikawa has cemented himself as one of golf’s biggest stars. He’s 23. He’s just getting started.
Bryson DeChambeau added weight in order to add distance – in order to add himself to the top of leaderboards in major championships. He did that this week.
Brooks Koepka did not win. It ends his two-year reign. But he had struggled with both his play and his body all year. The fact that he contended all tournament long should not go unnoticed.
He said it
“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. 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.” – Colin Morikawa
How it happened
– Entering the round, Dustin Johnson was at nine under and led by one shot over Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Champ, and by two shots over Collin Morikawa, Paul Casey and Brooks Koepka.
— Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau, playing together, birdie their first two holes to move to eight under.
– Scottie Scheffler birdies the 1st to move to nine under and tie Dustin Johnson.
— Brooks Koepka, after his approach shot hit the top of a tree, bogeys the 2nd to fall to six under.
– Dustin Johnson birdies the 1st on a 5-foot putt to move to 10 under. He leads by one shot over Scottie Scheffler; two shots over Cameron Champ, Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau; and three shots over Collin Morikawa, Paul Casey, Xander Schauffele, Jason Day and Daniel Berger.
– Bryson DeChambeau birdies 4 to pull to nine under.
– Dustin Johnson misses an 8-foot putt and bogeys the 3rd hole. Three players are tied for the lead at nine under – Johnson, Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau. Four players are one shot back at eight under – Tony Finau, Paul Casey, Cameron Champ and Collin Morikawa. Three players are two shots back at seven under – Daniel Berger, Jason Day and Justin Rose.
– Cameron Champ birdies the 4th hole. Four players are tied for the lead at nine under – Champ, Dustin Johnson, Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau. Three players are one shot back at eight under – Tony Finau, Paul Casey and Collin Morikawa. Three players are two shots back at seven under – Daniel Berger, Jason Day and Justin Rose.
– Paul Casey birdies the 5th hole. Five players are tied for the lead at nine under – Casey, Cameron Champ, Dustin Johnson, Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau. Two players are one shot back at eight under – Tony Finau and Collin Morikawa. Three players are two shots back at seven under – Daniel Berger, Jason Day and Justin Rose.
Collin Morikawa birdies the 4th hole. Six players are tied for the lead at nine under – Morikawa, Paul Casey, Cameron Champ, Dustin Johnson, Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau. One player is one shot back at eight under – Tony Finau. Three players are two shots back at seven under – Daniel Berger, Jason Day and Justin Rose.
– Dustin Johnson birdies the 4th off a putt from the fringe to move to 10 under. Five players are one stroke back at nine under – Morikawa, Paul Casey, Cameron Champ, Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau. One player is two shots back at seven under – Tony Finau. Six players are three shots back at seven under – Haotong Li, Xander Schauffele, Matthew Wolff, Daniel Berger, Jason Day and Justin Rose.
– Matthew Wollf eagles the 10th to pull to nine under. He had birdied 7, 8 and 9.
– Bryson DeChambeau birdies the 7th hole after a putt off the fringe to pull into a share of the lead with Dustin Johnson at 10 under. Five players are one stroke back at nine under – Collin, Morikawa, Paul Casey, Cameron Champ, Scottie Scheffler and Matthew Wolff. One player is two shots back at eight under – Tony Finau. Five players are three shots back at seven under – Patrick Reed, Haotong Li, Xander Schauffele, Si Woo Kim, Jason Day and Justin Rose. Brooks Koepka is among those at six under.
– Cameron Champ drops a 57-foot putt on the 6th to pull into a share of the lead at 10 under with Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson. Four players are one stroke back at nine under – Collin Morikawa, Paul Casey, Scottie Scheffler and Matthew Wolff. One player is two shots back at eight under – Tony Finau. Five players are three shots back at seven under – Patrick Reed, Haotong Li, Xander Schauffele, Si Woo Kim, Jason Day and Justin Rose. Brooks Koepka is among those at six under.
– Bryson DeChambeau, after hitting a chip to the green fat, bogies the 8th hole to fall out of the lead. He’s at nine under.
– Bryson DeChambeau bogeys the 8th, his second straight bogey, to fall to eight under.
– Cameron Champ drops a 20-foot putt for par on the 8th to stay tied for the lead.
– Dustin Johnson rolls in a 10-footer for par on the 8th hole to stay tied for the lead.
– Jason Day drops a 40-footer on 11 to move to nine under.
– Tony Finau birdies the 10th hole to move to nine under.
– Matthew Wolff bogeys the 14th hole after missing a 5-footer for par, and he is eight under. It is his third straight makeable putt that he missed.
– Cameron Champ double-bogeys the 9th to fall out of the lead, and he is now eight under. Dustin Johnson leads at 10 under. Five players are one stroke back at nine under – Jason Day, Tony Finau, Collin Morikawa, Paul Casey and Scottie Scheffler. Five players are two shots back at eight under – Champ, Bryson DeChambeau, Haotong Li, Matthew Wolff and Justin Rose. Four players are three shots back at seven under – Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm, Joel Dahmen and Si Woo Kim. Brooks Koepka is 3-under after bogeying 7, 8 and 9.
– Paul Casey birdies the 10th to pull into a share of the lead with Dustin Johnson. Four players are one stroke back at nine under – Jason Day, Tony Finau, Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler. Five players are two shots back at eight under – Champ, Bryson DeChambeau, Haotong Li, Matthew Wolff and Justin Rose. Four players are three shots back at seven under – Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm, Joel Dahmen and Si Woo Kim. Brooks Koepka is three under after bogeying 7, 8 and 9.
– Collin Morikawa birdies the 10th to move to 10 under with Dustin Johnson and Paul Casey. Three players are one stroke back at nine under – Jason Day, Tony Finau and Scottie Scheffler. Five players are two shots back at eight under – Champ, Bryson DeChambeau, Haotong Li, Matthew Wolff and Justin Rose. Four players are three shots back at seven under – Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm, Joel Dahmen and Si Woo Kim. Brooks Koepka is three under after bogeying 7, 8 and 9.
– Cameron Champ birdies the 10th to move to nine under.
– Matthew Wolff birdies 16 to move to nine under.
– Scottie Scheffler birdies the 10th to move into a share of the lead with Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa and Paul Casey. Three players are one stroke back at nine under – Matthew Wolff, Jason Day and Cameron Champ. Five players are two shots back at eight under – Bryson DeChambeau, Haotong Li, Xander Schauffele, Si Woo Kim and Tony Finau. Three players are three shots back at seven under – Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm and Joel Dahmen.
– Tony Finau birdies the 13th to move to nine under.
– Jason Day birdies the 14th to move to 10 under and a share of the lead with Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa and Paul Casey. Two players are one stroke back at nine under – Matthew Wolff and Cameron Champ. Five players are two shots back at eight under – Bryson DeChambeau, Haotong Li, Xander Schauffele, Si Woo Kim and Tony Finau. Three players are three shots back at seven under – Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm and Joel Dahmen.
– Paul Casey falls out of the lead after a bogey on 13th. Four players are now tied for the lead at 10 under.
– Matthew Wolff birdies the 18th to move to 10 under and a share of the lead. Five players are tied for the lead – Wolff, Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa and Jason Day. Two players are one stroke back at nine under – Paul Casey and Tony Finau. Five players are two shots back at eight under – Xander Schauffele, Si Woo Kim, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Champ. Four players are three shots back at seven under – Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm Joel Dahmen and Daniel Berger.
– Tony Finau birdies the 14th hole to move to 10 under and a share of the lead. Six players are tied for the lead – Finau, Matthew Wolff, Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa and Jason Day. One player is one stroke back at nine under – Paul Casey. Five players are two shots back at eight under – Xander Schauffele, Si Woo Kim, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Champ. Four players are three shots back at seven under – Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm Joel Dahmen and Daniel Berger.
– Bryson DeChambeau birdies the 14th to move to nine under.
– Paul Casey birdies the 14th to move to 10 under and a share of the lead. Seven players are tied for the lead – Casey, Tony Finau, Matthew Wolff, Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa and Jason Day. One player is one stroke back at nine under – Bryson DeChambeau. Three players are two shots back at eight under – Xander Schauffele, Cameron Champ and Joel Dahmen. Four players are three shots back at seven under – Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm, Si Woo Kim, Daniel Berger and Justin Rose.
– Collin Morikawa chips in from off the green on the 14th hole to move to 11 under alone. Six players are one shot back – Paul Casey, Tony Finau, Matthew Wolff, Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson and Jason Day. One player is two strokes back at nine under – Bryson DeChambeau. Four players are three shots back at eight under – Xander Schauffele, Cameron Champ, Joel Dahmen and Justin Rose.
– Scott Scheffler bogeys the 13th.
– Bryson DeChambeau birdies the 16th to move to 10 under.
– Dustin Johnson bogeys the 14th to fall to nine under.
– Paul Casey birdies the 16th to move to 11 under and a share of the lead with Collin Morikawa. Five players are one shot back – Matthew Wolff, Jason Day, Tony Finau and Bryson DeChambeau. Three players are two strokes back at eight under – Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose. Three players are three shots back at eight under – Xander Schauffele and Joel Dahmen.
– Collin Morikawa drives the green on the par-4 16th hole. It takes five hopes and rolls to about 7 feet away.
– Collin Morikawa eagles the 16th to move to 13 under and grab a two-shot lead. One player is two shots back – Paul Casey. Five players are three shots back – Matthew Wolff, Jason Day, Tony Finau and Bryson DeChambeau. Three players are four strokes back at nine under – Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose.
– Collin Morikawa pars the 17th.
– Dustin Johnson chips in on the 16th to move to 10 under.
– On the 18th, Collin Morikawa hits his drive into the fairway, hit his approach just over the flag and two-putted for par.
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