Morikawa and Johnson Headline a Promising U.S. Open
Although this year’s PGA golf season has been far from ideal, the world’s top golfers haven’t ceased to amaze fans, albeit fans have been watching from their living rooms. In a year where the British Open is canceled, the Masters tournament is moved to November, and Bryson Dechambeau is hitting 400 yard bombs off the tee, it is abundantly clear that anything can, and will, happen.
Just ask Collin Morikawa. The young 23 year old was beginning to mount some momentum heading into the 102nd PGA Championship, coming off an impressive win at the Workday Charity Open, a victory in which he outdueled the World’s third best golfer, Justin Thomas.
Morikawa, despite being down two shots after 54 holes at Harding Park in San Francisco, shot a remarkable 6 under par on Sunday to secure the championship. His calm demeanor and competitive mentality were on full display as he walked up to the 16th tee, a 336 yard dogleg-right par 4. “Give me driver,” Collin told his caddie, a risky play considering the tree trouble to the right of the fairway and water to the left. His caddie, JJ Jakovac, was skeptical of this decision, but knew Collin was capable of hitting a great shot. To say Collin hit a great shot would be an incredible understatement. He gave the ball an absolute rip, and his high fade worked perfectly, bouncing on the front of the green and rolling to within seven feet of the whole. “What a golf shot that was,” Collin later remarked after his round.
He went on to sink that putt for eagle, and cruised through the final two holes to secure the championship. After the trophy ceremony, Collin detailed his years playing golf at Cal and called the win “special,” considering how close he was from his alma mater. Collin will tee off early Thursday morning at Winged Foot, hoping to win his second major of the year, and will be in a group with Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods. Not a bad group to play with in your first U.S. Open.
Another golfer who has risen to the occasion this season has been Dustin Johnson. The 36 year old veteran has been on an absolute tear recently, winning two of his last three tournaments, as well as the FedEx Cup. The one tournament he lost in that span was a thrilling contest in which he fell to Jon Rahm in a playoff hole. In the past month alone, Dustin has made $18.7 million. Yes. Million. When asked about the money, Dustin repeats that he plays for the love of the game, and the money is just a bonus to being able to do what he loves. He hopes to transfer his good attitude and sharp play into the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Course in New York.
As for the rest of the field, elite players like Justin Thomas, Rory Mcilroy, and Xander Schauffele hope to steal a win at Winged Foot, but it is going to take four rounds of great golf, considering the level of golf that has been played by some of the best recently.
The grounds crew at Winged Foot has reportedly been working non-stop to get the course in perfect shape for the tournament. The course is known for its thick rough, which will be four inches long this weekend. This means that the players must be accurate off the tee, or else they could find their ball buried in the ground for their next shot. The greens will also be playing lightning fast, so it is safe to say that whoever can best manage the speed while they are putting will have an instant advantage to pull off a win at this year’s second major.
