Cal Golf: Collin Morikawa Is Nearly Flawless To Open the Sentry Tournament of Champs
Collin Morikawa, coming off the first season of his professional golf career without a PGA tour victory, kicked off 2023 with a near-flawless round.
The 25-year-old Cal grad shot a bogey-free, 9-under par 64 on Thursday at the Sentry Tournament of Champions on the par-73 Plantation Course of the Kapalua Resort in Maui, Hawaii.
Morikawa carded his ninth birdie of the day on No. 18 to close out a a back nine in which he had seven birdies and posted a score of 30. His round included birdies on Nos. 4 and 5, then six in a row from the 10th hole to the 15th -- his longest streak ever on the PGA tour.
Morikawa, in hopes to improving his play, hired Stephen Sweeney as a putting coach and former player Parker McLachlin to help him work on his short game.
"I just have answers," Morikawa said. "Before when I was putting it was like it was guess work. I might have putted well today and then thought I was doing something, but in reality it was something else."
As good as he was, Morikawa finds himself sharing the lead with two players. American J.J. Spaun also played a bogey-free opening round for a 64 while Spain’s Jon Rahm, ranked No. 5 in the world, birdied three of the final four holes to pull even.
It was an impressive show of consistent, high-level golf for the world’s 11th-ranked player, who is seeking his first victory since capturing The Open at Royal St. George’s in England in July 2021.
Morikawa had a solid 2021-22 season, placing second twice and finishing fifth at both the Masters and the U.S. Open. But he could not pocket the sixth victory in a career that began after graduated from Cal in 2019.
Ten players are within two strokes of the lead. South Korea’s Tom Kim included a pair of eagles in his 8-under round of 65.
Six players, including Scottie Scheffler, are tied for fifth at 7-under 66.
Cal grad Max Homa, coming off his best season on the tour, is tied for 26th place at 3-under 70, six strokes back of the leaders. Homa had an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole along with three birdies and a pair of bogeys.
The Sentry TOC features a 39-player field composed of winners on the tour in 2022 and players ranked in the top-30 of the final FedEx Cup points list.
Cover photo of Collin Morikawa by Kyle Terada, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo