Cal Golf: Ailing Back Sidelines Collin Morikawa, Who Misses the Cut at The Northern Trust
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Two Cal alums made the cut and advanced to the weekend at The Northern Trust, but one of them was not Collin Morikawa, who entered the week as the points leader in the FedEx Cup playoffs but is struggling with a back ailment.
Morikawa improved on his Thursday effort, shooting at 1-under 70 in round two, but his two-day total of 2-over 144 missed the cut by three strokes.
Afterward, the 24-year-old Cal grad revealed that he has been dealing with a bad back since injuring it in the first round of the Tokyo Olympics last month.
While Max Homa and James Hahn both advanced to Saturday’s play — they are tied for 57th and tied for 63rd, respectively — Morikawa is finished for the weekend.
“That’s gone. It was healing through Memphis (at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational), but I was hitting these slap-cuts and then Wednesday of last week I pinched (a nerve) in my back, it was completely different,” Morikawa said
He didn’t practice all last week leading up to The Northern Trust, and said he had a hard time with his tee shots and never found any rhythm.
“My feet felt like they were aiming 90 yards left and then I’d hit my normal cut for 5 yards,” Morikawa explained. “The timing is all off, the body is all off, I’ve got some work to do.”
Morikawa had missed the cut just once in his past 19 events, dating back 10 months. He finished among the top 20 in all four majors this year, including a win at the British Open, and had eight top-10 finishes this season.
He said he considered not playing this week “Monday was interesting because I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to swing,” he said.
Then his back apparently improved through the week and he entered play Thursday feeling good about things. “I felt like I was OK, but once you tee it up on Thursday you figure out what the real issues are,” Morikawa said.
Although he will drop in the standings, health permitting, Morikawa should be qualified to play next week at the BMW Championships, the second leg in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Morikawa never was able to recover from his first-round 74. He made birdies on Nos. 6 and 7 on Friday and was two-under for the day and one-over for the tournament through seven holes.
But a double-bogey on No. 9 pretty much put his comeback try out of reach.
Morikawa had good company among others who missed the cut, including defending FedEx Cup champion Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.
Homa was even with Morikawa at 74 after Thursday but rallied nicely in Round 2. He made five birdies and an eagle 2 on the par-4 third hole to finish the day at 5-under 66, leaving him at 2-under for the tournament.
Homa, enjoying his best season on the PGA tour, will tee off at 8:35 p.m. PT at the Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, NJ.
Hahn, who is 39 and ranked No. 105 in the FedEx Cup regular-season standings, just snuck into the week by shooting a 1-under 70 on Friday after a 71 in the first round. He shot a 32 on the back nine Friday and tees off at 8:15 a.m. PT.
It didn’t go as well for Brandon Hagy. Ranked No. 74 in the FedEx Cup standings coming into the week, he cannot finish in the top 70 and qualify for the BMW Championships after missing the cut this week.
He had a 69 on Friday but that wasn’t nearly enough to compensate for a 7-over 78 in the first round. Hagy had seven birdies Friday but also a double-bogey to finish two days with a 5-over 147.
Jon Rahm is the leader at the halfway point at minus-12 after carding a 67 Friday on the heels of an 8-under 63. He has 12 birdies and no bogeys through 36 holes.
Tony Finau is second at 11 under while Xander Schauffele, 2017 FedEx Cup winner Justin Thomas and Kevin Mitchell are tied for third at minus-10.
Cover photo of Collin Morikawa by Joe Rondone, Commercial Appeal
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo