Sunday afternoon, professional golfer Collin Morikawa won the WGC-Workday Championship and joined an exclusive list. He became only the second person ever to win a major and a World Golf Championship before 25. The only other person to do so is Tiger Woods.
Morikawa entered the final round of the WGC-Workday with a two-shot advantage at 15 under. He struggled early with a bogey on the second hole but recovered and continued to add pars to his stat sheet. Morikawa built up a three-shot advantage and walked away as the champion. He then talked about Tiger Woods and expressed gratitude about the golf legend recovering in the hospital after a single-car rollover crash.
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“I don’t think we say thank you enough, so I want to say thank you to Tiger.” pic.twitter.com/isVg9IJ5zo
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) February 28, 2021
“Tiger means everything to me,” Morikawa said after his win. “Yes, he had the crash, and thankfully, he’s alright. And hopefully, he has a quick and great recovery. But I don’t think we say ‘thank you’ enough. I want to say ‘thank you’ to Tiger because sometimes you lose people too early.”
Morikawa proved his point by explaining that his grandfather passed away last month. He also referenced the Jan. 26, 2020, helicopter crash that claimed Kobe Bryant’s lives, his daughter Gianna, and seven others. “You don’t get to say ‘thank you’ enough, so thank you,’” Morikawa added.
The young golfer may only be early in his professional career, but he is making the most of his opportunities on the PGA Tour. He has four wins in this span of time. Morikawa started his professional career with a win at the 2019 Barracuda Championship, his first event after turning pro. He then won the Workday Charity Open in July 2020.
On Aug. 9, 2020, Morikawa won the PGA Championship, marking his career’s first major. He ended the COVID-19-altered season as the No. 5 player in the world at the age of 23 but later explained that the newfound fame would not change him. In fact, Morikawa said that securing this win at Harding Park only further fueled him.
“It didn’t feel like I checked that box off of winning a major championship and I’m satisfied with the rest of my career. It just made me want more,” Morikawa said, per CNN. “Now, whether I’m at a major championship or a regular event, European Tour event, whatever it might be, I want that winning feeling because when you win, it’s just a feeling that you can’t describe, especially in golf, with us really losing more than we win.”
