Cal Golf: A Great Season, Frustrating Final Day for Collin Morikawa

Second-year pro had three late bogeys, falling to sixth at the Tour Championship

Photo by Adam Hagy, USA Today

Collin Morikawa won $1.9 million on the final day of his second season as a PGA professional, but he probably wasn’t altogether satisfied with it.

The 23-year-old former Cal star wound up sixth at the Tour Championship in Atlanta on Monday, which earned him sixth-place money in the season-long FedEx Cup series.

His final earnings for the 2020 season: $7,150,000. What did you make in your second year on the job?

Morikawa won twice this season, including at the PGA Championship, the only major to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. Only a playoff loss at the Charles Schwab Challenge kept him from three tour victories.

He played well enough all season to secure fifth place in the FedEx Cup standings, good for a five-under par starting point this week.

He delivered a couple shots golf fans will talk about for years — his magnificent drive on the 16th hole in the final round of the PGA Championship at Harding Park and his 47-foot hole-out chip from the bunker for birdie on the first hole of Sunday’s third round at East Lake Golf Club.

But on Monday, Morikawa no doubt felt like he could have done better still.

He barely missed a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 5 and his long birdie putt on No. 8 stopped barely two inches from the hole.

Even so, he was alone in fourth place through 12 holes, and positioned to perhaps challenge for second or third. NBC’s commentators repeatedly praised Morikawa’s season-long play and speculated on the brilliant career that could unfold in the years ahead.

Then, after playing bogey-free all day, Morikawa came apart. Beginning at the 14th, he bogeyed three holes over the next four to slide from fourth place to sixth.

He bogeyed 14, 16 and 17, while posting his fourth birdie of the afternoon on the 15th.

Morikawa, who was at 3-under 32 over the front nine, wound up with a 37 over the final nine holes for a 69 which left him at minus-13 for the tournament.

Dustin Johnson, who entered the Tour Championship at minus-10 as the FedEx Cup points leader, made birdies on three of the first six holes to build a huge lead. He made just one more birdie all day -- on the 18th after already clinching victory -- but held on to win the tournament and the FedEx Cup first-place check of $15 million.

Johnson, who had two wins and a runner-up finish in the three FedEx Cup season-ending playoff events, shot 68 on Monday and finished at 21 under par.

Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas wound up tied for second place at 18 under, each winning $4.5 million.

One-time Arizona State star Jon Rahm overcame an early double-bogey to shoot a 66 and pull away from Morikawa, securing fourth place, with its payday of $3 million. Scottie Scheffler, one of just two rookies to make the 30-player Tour Championship field, fired a final-round 65 to climb into fifth place, worth $2.5 million.

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

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