– Collin Morikawa, solo leader at the Arnold Palmer Invitational after three rounds, noted yesterday, after signing the 67 that had propelled him to the top of the leaderboard, that throughout 2024 he hadn’t felt completely free on the golf course. That in one way or another, thoughts about the swing always interfered while competing, in a constant struggle to feel more comfortable or simply to find something that worked better.
– Needless to say, this week, so far, he has indeed felt free on the course and in full control of his game. Free to simply play golf, shot by shot, without technical interferences in his head. “Sometimes it’s hard to say when you feel good. You can start a week and find something that week and just play with it, which even allows you to win. I’ve done it in the past. But if you want to have a long streak, you really have to have control. Even on missed shots. Like today: I missed some and you wouldn’t notice because they ended up well. There’s then a slight difference between where I was and where I am now.”
And where is he now?
The Californian has it crystal clear: “It’s been a while since I hit my irons this way. You’d have to go way back, basically to 2021.”
It’s not a bad place to return to, that 2021. Let’s take out paper and pen and take note:
– That was indisputably the best year in Morikawa‘s career so far. He won three tournaments, and what tournaments: a World Golf Championship (WGC Workday at the Concession), a Major, the Open, and the Dubai Finale of the European Tour.
– Additionally, he was second in the Memorial, eighth in the PGA, and fourth in the US Open, among other achievements.
– In 2021, Morikawa actually reached World Number 2, his highest ranking to date, only behind a powerful Jon Rahm, although the Californian came within three-tenths of the world throne at the start of 2022.
– The audacity of Morikawa is striking, this journey to the past to compare his current feelings with those he had in his best version, when he still has the final round ahead at a very demanding Bay Hill. But, in fairness, the American player also pointed out the following: “It’s a feeling of freedom when you go out to play golf and just try to get the ball in the hole, instead of trying to think about the swing or the shot or whatever. Yes, and I know perfectly well that this doesn’t mean you’re going to finish in the top 5 or 10 or that you’re going to be in contention.” For now, at the Arnold Palmer, he is indeed in contention.
In the end, results matter a lot more than the feelings a player describes to us. We need to see to believe: if Morikawa wins today in Florida, it will be much easier for all of us to recognize in him that beastly version of 2021.
– Watch out for the wonderful chaos that could unfold today at Bay Hill, if the wind truly reaches those peaks of 20 miles per hour (32 kilometres per hour) that are forecast from noon onwards and, above all, if the greens remain as firm and fast as yesterday (only rain could prevent it, and the forecast doesn’t guarantee that it will rain over Bay Hill before the end of the tournament). Watch out, we said, because we might see some high scores in the last matches… However, this situation almost favours Morikawa or Russell Henley, the two members of the featured match, as it essentially reduces the list of contenders: it will be more difficult for someone to surprise with a 64, for example, coming from far behind. And when we say ‘someone’, we are indeed still referring to Scottie Scheffler, who starts eight shots off the lead, or Rory McIlroy, who will start seven shots back, and who are playing in consecutive matches an hour ahead of the leaders.
