Morikawa holds off chasing pack at the Concession; new world No 4
Collin Morikawa of the United States celebrates with the Gene Sarazen Cup during the trophy ceremony after winning the final round of World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession on February 28, 2021 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
COLLIN MORIKAWA joined Tiger Woods in an exclusive club when he claimed the WGC-Workday Championship at The Concession and his fourth PGA Tour win in 19 months.
On a day when many in the field, including Rory McIlroy, wore red and black as a tribute to the recovering Woods, the clinical Californian (24) overcame a wobbly start and held of a quality chasing pack, closing with a three-under 69 to win by three strokes from Norway’s Viktor Hovland (67), Brooks Koepka (70) and Billy Horschel (70) on 18-under par.
As a result, the reigning PGA champion became the first player since Woods to win a Major and a World Golf Championship before the age of 25 and went out of his way to pay tribute to the 15-time Major winner shortly after his round.
“Tiger means everything to me,” Morikawa said on the 18th green. “And yes, he had the crash and thankfully he's all right and hopefully he has a quick and great recovery, but I don't think we say thank you enough. So I want to say thank you to Tiger because sometimes you lose people too early and that's what -- Kobe. I lost my grandpa about a month ago. And you don't get to say thank you enough. So thank you, guys.”
He also had words of thanks for former Major winners, Mark O’Meara and Paul Azinger.
“Mark O'Meara, I was talking to him about putting. Obviously, it's been a big change to the saw grip that he calls it, not the claw,” he said. “Then I came over and actually on this 18th green and talked with Azinger for 10, 15 minutes about chipping and it just saved my life this week.”
After sleeping on the 54-hole lead for the first time in his career, Morikawa started nervously but after getting up and down for par at the first, then making seven-footer for bogey at the second to find himself tied with Horschel on 14-under, he moved up a gear.
After birdies at the fifth, seventh and ninth, he made a crucial 12-footer for par at the 11th, then birdied the 12th to open a three-shot lead and played sensibly down the stretch to keep Hovland, Koepka and Horschel at bay, moving up two places to fourth in the world.
“No matter what anyone says, sleeping on a lead has its pressure, has its nerves,” Morikawa said. “But I was excited to get back in contention, to have a chance to win. It's something that I miss. Obviously, I haven't had it for a while, but this is what we love to do, we love to win.”
He was also relieved to finally find a solution to his putting woes, explaining: “I've putted well in tournaments, and I've won, but it wasn't as consistent as I wanted. Some weeks were really good and then some weeks were just awful. And now I feel confident I can take the stroke out of play and I can just really focus on speed, I can focus on the line, how do I get that ball to fall in the hole where I want it.
“Where before I even noticed now how I'm aiming, before it was almost like a left to right putt. I would aim a little farther left. And I caught myself last week trying to aim farther left because I'd almost shove it, and I would jab at it. But if I look at all my putts I've hit over the past two weeks, I don't think I've had one of those. And that's what's really exciting for me.”
While McIlroy had an eagle and 25 birdies over the four rounds, he admitted he was “still searching a little bit” for his game as he carded a one-under 71 to finish six shots behind the winner in tied sixth on 12-under par.
“There were signs that there's some good stuff in there,” said McIlroy, who showed a marked improvement in his wedge play, finishing fifth in the field from 100-125-yards though he is still 103rd overall for the season.
“I think if anything I felt good with the putter this week, changed from the spider back to the blade which felt good, which was nice.
“A little better off the tee as well. Wedges are good. It's sort of when I get into 8-iron down to 4-iron is where I'm sort of struggling. I struggled on the par 3s today, I had some really loose shots and made three bogeys on the par 3s because of tee shots. Still got a little bit of work to do.
“I guess if I can come to a World Golf Championship with the best players in the world and not feel like I'm my best and still contend, I guess that's a good sign.”
The Holywood star was just four strokes behind Morikawa starting the day but followed a birdie four at the third with bogeys on the par-three fourth and sixth to turn for home six shots adrift.
He then made too many mistakes coming home, mixing birdies at the 10th, 12th and 16th with bogeys at the 11th and 15th.
His Tiger Woods attire was a major talking point after the round with social media divided on the fine line between a tribute and a commercial play by Nike, he made no apologies.
“I guess for us it’s just a gesture to let him know that we’re thinking about him and we’re rooting for him,” McIlroy said of his homage to Woods. “Obviously things are looking a little better today than they were on Tuesday, but he’s still got a way to go. He’s got a huge recovery ahead of him.
“If there was no Tiger Woods, I just think the Tour and the game of golf in general would be in a worse place. He’s meant a lot to us, he still does mean a lot to us and I think that was just a little way to show that.”
As for Shane Lowry, the Open champion had a better day on the greens but still shot a one-over 73 to finish tied 48th on three-over.
The Open champion, who desperately needs to find some form as he chases his Ryder Cup debut this year, got off to a terrible start when he bogeyed the first and double-bogeyed the second following wayward tee shots.
He steadied the ship when he birdied the third, fifth and sixth, then followed a bogey at the ninth with back to back birdies at the 11th, where he chipped in from 25 yards, and the driveable 12th.
But the Clara man endured a disappointing finish, dropping a shot at the par-five 13th and another par-five 17th. He had just 24 putts, finishing the day with positive strokes gained putting for the first time all week.
But after recording just two top-10 finishes in 36 starts since winning The Open, he knows he likely needs to win this season if he's to make Pádraig Harrington's team for Whistling Straits.
He’s playing the next four events and will be looking for an improvement in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill this week before he plays the Players Championship, The Honda Classic and the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play before the Masters Tournament.
