Collin Morikawa (-3) started the Travelers Championship with a scorecard of 67 strokes. A good start for the World Number 4, although not exactly spectacular. He is five strokes behind Scottie Scheffler and Austin Eckroat, the leading pair after the first round. However, the Californian golfer was in the spotlight at TPC River Highlands because he provided one of the most curious images of the day. Specifically, he was seen hitting some shots with irons, not all, without a glove, something very unusual in this sport.
At the end of the round, he was asked why he made this decision, whether it was related to something technical or if it was more about superstition or habit. Morikawa, in his response, once again demonstrated that golfers are certainly a bit eccentric… if not more. “It’s something that has been developing over the past few days. I feel like I’m making good swings, but I keep missing in the same spot. I just keep missing about nine yards to the left,” explained the two-time Major champion.
Having diagnosed the issue, it was time to find a solution, and Morikawa thought of trying to hit the shot with both hands bare. “At the end of the day, what makes us such good athletes and such good golfers are our hands because we have a lot of sensitivity. For some reason, when I took off the glove this week, it worked. I started to see that even the bad shots weren’t so bad, but ended up in the place where I more or less expect. The problem is that it’s very hot and you sweat a lot, which is why I’ve done it sometimes and not others,” he explained.
Specifically, Morikawa hit the mid and long irons without a glove. “Most of the shots to the flag that I hit were without a glove. The wedges were with a glove, but most of the irons were quite good. The shot on the 16th was exactly how I’m used to seeing my shots. Obviously, it doesn’t have to end up a yard and a half away, but the curve of the shot was what really pleased me to see,” he noted.
Morikawa revealed that it was the first time he tried it in competition and that it occurred to him on Monday while he was alone on the practice range. “I’ve even practiced barefoot, without shoes, and that usually works for me, but I don’t think I’ll do it in competition. Look, we’re crazy. Honestly, we’re crazy because we try a lot of things, but that’s what makes us really good: we look for those small details. Even though last week I think I was top 5 or something like that in shots to the green, I know I can improve and feel more comfortable. Even if the ball ends up close, it’s more about feeling more relaxed out there,” he concluded.
Morikawa finished yesterday in 16th place in shots to the green and hit 16 of the 18 greens. As if to understand them.
