Collin Morikawa Finds Reason to Smile Again After Sunday's 11-Shot Improvement

The two-time major champion shot himself out of the U.S. Open with a Saturday 77, but a closing 66 at The Country Club was more like it.

BROOKLINE, Mass. — Smiling and laughing, Collin Morikawa’s demeanor was considerably different from the end of his third round on Saturday to the conclusion of his final-round 66 on Sunday.

A difference of 11 shots will do that for anyone, but when you’re going into the third round tied for the lead at the U.S. Open, the implosion that produced a 77 can be a bit jarring.

A traditional U.S. Open golf course, The Country Club forces the player to find the fairways or accept the consequences. Morikawa didn’t on Saturday and the consequences were severe.

“I didn't see it coming,” Morikawa said of his 7-over on Saturday. “I think when you are playing well — you'll make doubles, right, and doubles aren't acceptable, just like three-putts. Yesterday with two doubles, you just can't play with that.”

Morikawa struggled with almost every aspect of his game on Saturday and admitted you can’t play the course from the rough, which he visited more than the course superintendent.

With two majors under his belt at the tender age of 25, Morikawa needed to clear his head of what could have been his third major title but turned into his second consecutive top 5 in the U.S. Open. He was fifth this year and T4 last year at Torrey Pines, four shots behind the winner both times.

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On Sunday, Morikawa established some comfort and confidence with five birdies and a 4-under 66, matching his second-round score which was also his career low in a U.S. Open.

“I hope many 7-overs aren't coming in the future,” Morikawa said after his final round. “But it just kind of made me refocus and kind of just get back into things, right, and just really start from the tee, get it in the fairway, and then worry about it from there.”

Morikawa hit 64% of the fairways on Sunday versus a paltry 21% on Saturday, proving it was all about hitting fairways at The Country Club this week.

“I don't know if I found something, I think it just taught me to just go play golf,” Morikawa said. “This year has been so much focused on trying to hit that cut and trying to be so perfect, and that's who I am, but just go out and play.”

Next up for Morikawa is the JP McManus Pro Am at Adare Manor in Ireland, the Scottish Open outside of Edinburgh and then a defense of his title at the 150th Open Championship at the Old Course in St. Andrews, where he has never been before.

“I think I'm going to have to really do a good job about prioritizing every single day and splitting up what I need to focus on, whether it's the golf or whether I need to enjoy just being there at St. Andrews, being back as a defending champion,” Morikawa said. “I think last year I was able to settle in a little quicker because I played the Scottish and you just kind of showed up.

"This year I think there's going to be a couple more distractions just with being the defending champion and just knowing that it's such a golf-centered town, but that doesn't mean by Tuesday midday all I'll be focusing on is golf.”

More U.S. Open Coverage From Morning Read:

> Matt Fitzpatrick Found Joy In the Suffering, and His Reward Is the U.S. Open Title
> Jon Rahm’s Bid to Defend His U.S. Open Title Vanishes in Frustrating Sunday
> Matt Fitzpatrick's First Major Triumph Wasn't the Only One Celebrated at the U.S. Open
> Why Matt Fitzpatrick’s U.S. Open Trophy Engraving Took So Long

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