Five years after lifting the Claret Jug at Royal St. George’s, Collin Morikawa is back in England with another Open title in his sights.
Morikawa, now 29 and a father, is one of 156 players set to begin the 154th Open Championship on Thursday at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. He’ll be joined by fellow Cal alums Max Homa and Michael Kim, giving the Golden Bears three spots in the field.
Since his wife Kat gave birth to their first child in early June, Morikawa has kept rolling. The couple has chosen to keep the baby’s gender and name private for now, and the results on the course have been strong: tied for 29th at the RBC Canadian Open, tied for 17th at the U.S. Open and third at the Travelers Championship on June 25 after closing with rounds of 64 and 61.
The tee times for the Cal trio are spread across Wednesday night and Thursday morning in local time. Morikawa goes at 6:42 a.m.
PT Thursday, which is 2:42 p.m. in England. Kim starts at 10:46 p.m.
Wednesday, or 6:46 a.m. Thursday local time.
Homa tees off at 11:08 p.m. Wednesday, which is 7:08 a.m.
Thursday in England.
The Open is playing for a $3.2 million first prize from a $17.75 million purse, both records for the championship. Even so, both figures remain the lowest among the four majors.
The betting and prediction chatter is where you’d expect it to be: Scottie Scheffler at No. 1, Rory McIlroy widely viewed as the second choice, and Tommy Fleetwood as the home favorite despite still searching for his first win in 44 major starts.
Morikawa is drawing plenty of respect too. ESPN has him at No. 11, with Mark Schlabach pointing to the back injury Morikawa has managed through in recent months and the form he’s shown anyway.
“Morikawa has battled through a back injury the past few months but has still played surprisingly well. He carded a 9-under 61 in the final round of the Travelers Championship and finished third, narrowly missing a playoff.
The 2021 Champion Golfer of the Year at Royal St. George's, Morikawa leads the tour in approach (.842) and is seventh in driving accuracy (69.4%).
But he'll have to get more out of his short game this week to win a second Claret Jug.”
Rob Bolton of PGATour.com has Morikawa even higher, slotting him No. 2 in his pre-tournament power ratings behind Fleetwood.
“With noise about his back quiet and with the healthy birth of his firstborn behind him, it’s all systems go for the 2021 Open champ. Chased an up-and-down T17 at the U.S. Open with a solo third at the Travelers Championship.”
There’s also a scheduling wrinkle hanging over Sunday. The start of the final round will depend on how Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal between England and Argentina plays out.
If England advances to Sunday’s championship match, set for an 8 p.m. kickoff in Britain, Open officials could move tee times earlier to avoid a conflict. Golf is expected to finish around 6:30 p.m. local time, though a playoff could push things closer to the soccer start.
Morikawa’s Open resume is already loaded. This will be his sixth start, and he won the championship in 2021.
He missed the cut last year after opening with a 7-over total through 36 holes. His major record also includes the 2020 PGA Championship title.
Homa is making his fifth Open appearance. His best finish in the event was a tie for 10th in 2023, and he skipped the tournament in 2025 after tying for 43rd in 2024. His best result in any major is a tie for third at the 2024 Masters.
Kim is back for his fourth Open start. His top finish in the championship was a tie for 35th in 2018, and he missed the cut last year after posting a 4-over score through 36 holes.
His best major finish remains a tie for 13th at the 2013 U.S. Open.
In Other News...
Another National Cal Projection Fuels The Same 2026 Debate
USA Todays preseason ACC football projections offered another reminder that Cals 2026 outlook is still a moving target. The magazine slotted the Bears 11th in the 17-team league, adding to a stack of early forecasts that have struggled to settle on a clear range for a roster being rebuilt under a new head coach, with inexperienced coordinators and plenty of transfers in the mix.
The bigger takeaway is how scattered the national view has become. Cal has landed anywhere from 14th in Phil Steele to eighth in Lindys and The Sporting News, with Athlon placing the Bears 10th, and the honors lists have been just as quiet, with no Cal players making USA Todays first- or second-team preseason all-ACC teams or the other magazines cited. USA Today did include tight end Dorian Thomas as an honorable mention, but for now the broader debate around this team still feels like it will be decided on the field. [Read more 🡒]