Cal Golf: Collin Morikawa's Ferocious Rally at Riviera Worth a Tie for Second Place
![Cal Golf: Collin Morikawa's Ferocious Rally at Riviera Worth a Tie for Second Place Cal Golf: Collin Morikawa's Ferocious Rally at Riviera Worth a Tie for Second Place](https://www.si.com/.image/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/MTg3NTYwMjc0MjM5MTcwNDQ3/morikawa-celebrates-2.jpg)
Collin Morikawa, who began the final round at The Genesis Invitational eight strokes behind tournament leader Joaquin Niemann, wound up just two back while rallying to tie for second place on Sunday.
Morikawa shot six under over his final 12 holes at Riviera, including an eagle on No. 10 and birdies on 16 and 17.
He had a chance to make Niemann sweat when his second shot on the par-4 18th rolled to barely 10 feet from the hole, setting up a birdie attempt. But Morikawa’s putt was wide left by an inch or two and he wound up with par on the hole and a final-round score of six-under 65.
Niemann, a 23-year-old from Chile, secured his second PGA tour victory and a winner’s check of $2,160,000 with a final-round 71. He shot back-to-back rounds of 63 on Thursday and Friday and finished at 19-under 265 to hold off Morikawa and Cameron Young, both at minus-17.
Niemann, who will climb from his current world ranking of No. 32, became the first wire-to-wire winner at Riviera since Charlie Sifford in 1969 and the second-youngest to win the event.
Morikawa, 25, who began the day alone in fifth place, took home $1,068,000 after shooting four rounds of 68 or better. He moved to No. 10 in the FedEx Cup standings.
Young, a 24-year-old Wake Forest grad, shot a bogey-free 62 on Friday but came home with a 70 on Sunday.
Fellow Golden Bear alum and defending tournament champion Max Homa, who began the day tied for sixth place, wound up in a three-way tie for 10th, nine strokes off the pace at 10 under.
He birdied No. 17 to move to move to ninth then bogeyed the final hole to wind up with an even-par score of 71 after rounds of 66, 70 and 67 the first three days.
Homa earned $303,000 for his performance.
Adam Scott and Viktor Hovland tied for fourth place at 14 under and Justin Thomas was sixth at at minus-13.
Cover photo of Collin Morikawa celebrating his approach shot on the seventh hole by Gary A. Vasquez, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo