FORT WORTH, Texas — While a return to action at the Charles Schwab Challenge has been soothing for many PGA Tour players, getting them back into what feels like a traditional lifestyle, the honeymoon phase quickly subsided for many when they realized the dreaded cut was looming.
All seasoned golfers have suffered through the pain that accompanies a Friday cut — except Collin Morikawa.
Despite a bit of trouble on the back nine, Morikawa finished with an impressive 64 on Friday, not only putting himself on the right side of the cutline at Colonial Country Club, but also firmly near the top of the leaderboard at 9-under par through two rounds.
The stellar play kept Morikawa’s amazing streak alive — he has now started his professional PGA Tour career by making his first 21 cuts. The only player with a higher number in the last three decades? That’s Tiger Woods, who made his first 25.
The former Cal star, who already has a PGA Tour victory under his belt from the Barracuda Championship in Reno last July, said he’s not comfortable with simply getting to Saturday, but he realizes the streak provides opportunities.
“It means I’m doing something right,” Morikawa said. “That mindset just can’t go for making cuts, it’s got to be going to win now, and that’s where my mind eight is at. But in order to win you’ve got to make cuts.”
Morikawa got out of the gate early on Friday, rolling in birdies on Nos. 1, 3 and 5. He had a few hiccups on the back, posting bogeys on 10 and 15, but added five birdies on the back for a smooth 32-32-64.
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“It was kind of an up-and-down round. I missed a few more greens today. Wasn’t hitting lines as well. Made some good sand saves, made some good putts for par, and overall, it was a steady round. Just got to pick up little tee shots, find my lines, and we’ll be fine from there,” Morikawa said.
“When I put myself within that 175 to 125, 100 range, my game just feels really good. I feel solid. I feel like I can attack a lot of pins, and from there I’ve really just got to put myself in those positions in the fairway. But putting has felt great this week, short game has felt great, and yeah, everything feels really good.”
The Charles Schwab Challenge marks Morikawa 23rd PGA Tour start, but he played two of those as an amateur. The only time he’s missed the cut in a Tour event was at the 2016 Safeway Open as a 19-year-old amateur.
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He’s already thinking about bigger goals, like climbing after the aforementioned Woods.
“To have that consistency over the past year, especially not having any status last summer, to go out and winning, making the Playoffs, whatever, it means a lot, and obviously the goal is to reach Tiger, and if not beat him,” Morikawa said. “It’s going to be a great six, seven-year span. But for this week I’ve just got to focus on this week. I’ve got to focus on tomorrow and just really dial in every single day. Every single day is different.”
Morikawa isn’t a stranger to winning — he had victories at the Sunnehanna Amateur, Trans-Mississippi Amateur, and the Western Junior before he debuted on the PGA Tour — was making his first professional start in Fort Worth this week. But he’s no stranger to the area, and, in fact, reveres the grounds.
“Colonial Country Club has been pretty special to me. The past few years I’ve been able to come on the Mondays for the Ben Hogan Award, so I’ve seen the course, seen each nine before I played all 18 Monday through Wednesday, but it’s always going to mean a lot,” he said. “Even though I didn’t win the Ben Hogan Award, to be back here playing the tournament means a lot. Conditions are amazing, members are awesome. It’s just a great course to be at.”
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