Morikawa gives Memorial Tournament another shot

Collin Morikawa had to withdraw from the 2023 Memorial Tournament due to a back injury, a moment he recalled with near tears, especially when informing Jack Nicklaus. Despite this setback, Morikawa has returned for this year’s Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, which began on Thursday.

Morikawa aims to win the title that slipped away last year and hopes for a congratulatory handshake from Nicklaus, the tournament’s longtime host and golf legend, on the 18th green. Reflecting on last year’s incident, Morikawa, who was tied for ninth at 4-under par and just two shots behind the leaders, experienced back spasms during a workout on the morning of the final round, leading to his withdrawal. “I felt gutted last year,” Morikawa said. “I went in there nearly sobbing because I had to tell [Nicklaus] that I had to withdraw. It sucks because you show up to certain events and you just, you have this thing about an event that you just love, and I love this golf course.”

At 27, Morikawa is a two-time Major champion, having won the PGA Championship in 2020 and The Open in 2021. Among his six PGA Tour victories is the 2020 Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village, although that win did not include a handshake from Nicklaus. Another opportunity came in 2021 when he lost to Patrick Cantlay in a playoff.

Reflecting on the possibility of a handshake from Nicklaus, the 84-year-old 18-time Major champion, Morikawa said, “It would be so special. What Jack has done for this game, what his voice does, what he represents, it’s a lot. You can’t replace history, you can’t replace someone like that, so to have that chance hopefully come Sunday, it would mean the world. Yes, you know, he was a little before I got into golf, but history is history. When you have someone like that, one of the greats, if not the great, right? It’s an absolute honour.”

Currently, Morikawa is eighth in the official world golf rankings and sixth in the FedExCup points standings. This season, he has made the cut in 11 of 13 events, with five top-10 finishes and nine in the top 25. Following a fourth-place finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge on May 26, Morikawa enters this week’s event with significant momentum.

“I love it. I mean, it’s a golf course that tests everything,” Morikawa said of Muirfield Village. “You could say that about a lot of golf courses, but it truly does. The rough’s thick, the greens can get pretty firm out here, depending on weather, and there’s not a lot to just kind of get away and get lazy with on any holes. The par-5s play tough. They’re gettable, but they can still play tough. That’s the great thing about this golf course is from hole 1 you’re staying focused all the way through the 18th.”