Collin Morikawa Finds His Groove at Pebble Beach with Vintage Ball-Striking Masterclass
Collin Morikawa reminded everyone on Saturday just how dangerous he can be when the irons are dialed in. At Pebble Beach, the two-time major winner turned in a 10-under 62, hitting all 18 greens in regulation and putting on a ball-striking clinic that felt like a throwback to his early days on Tour - the days when his iron play had veterans and analysts shaking their heads in disbelief.
This wasn’t just a good round. It was historic.
Morikawa gained 6.472 strokes on the field with his approach shots - the best Strokes Gained: Approach number ever recorded at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the second-best since the ShotLink era began in 2004. That’s not just elite - that’s generational.
And it came at a time when Morikawa needed it most.
A Return to Form with the Irons
For Morikawa, the ball-striking has always been the foundation. When he’s in rhythm, he’s not just hitting greens - he’s hitting exact quadrants of greens.
On Saturday, he looked like the version of himself that burst onto the scene with laser-guided 6-irons and a fearless mindset. He poured in 11 birdies, including four straight to close the front nine and five of his final six holes, en route to a 17-under total and a share of second place, just two shots behind leader Akshay Bhatia.
“The last two days have felt kind of like my old self,” Morikawa said. “I'm seeing a lot more pin-high shots, which is great for someone who relies on their ball-striking. It’s nice to know where your irons are going to start.”
That kind of confidence is something Morikawa’s been searching for. Since his win at the 2023 Zozo Championship, he hasn’t found the winner’s circle again.
In fact, he’s been stuck in a stretch of nine straight starts without a top-10 finish, dating back to late June. That includes a missed cut at the Sony Open to start the season and a T-54 finish last week in Phoenix.
Searching for Answers - and Finding One in the Bag
One of the biggest hurdles for Morikawa lately has been the putter. He’s never been known as a top-tier putter, but lately, the struggles have been more pronounced.
Last season, he ranked 156th in Strokes Gained: Putting. This year?
He’s 159th. That’s the kind of stat that keeps you up at night, especially when everything else in the bag is working.
So, in true golfer fashion, he made a change - and this one came from a familiar source. Two weeks ago, while practicing at home, Morikawa borrowed a TaylorMade Spider putter from fellow pro Kurt Kitayama. That putter is now in the bag, and while the results haven’t been lights-out, they’ve been promising.
“This putter I actually stole from Kurt Kitayama two weeks ago,” Morikawa said with a laugh. “It’s kind of settling nice… it doesn’t have as much toe hang as the neck assumes, just because of the mallet look. So it’s doing what I want.”
Still, he’s the first to admit he hasn’t found “the one” yet - and maybe never will. “I think I might be [unsettled] for the rest of my career,” he said candidly.
On Saturday, he made just 58 feet of putts - a low number, but also a product of hitting it so close all day. When your irons are dropping darts, you don’t have to rely on draining long ones.
Mindset Shift: From Making Cuts to Winning Tournaments
Beyond the technical tweaks, there’s been a mental reset as well. Morikawa’s longtime coach, Rick Sessinghaus, gave him a much-needed pep talk on Friday.
The message? Get back to playing with purpose.
Not just to make cuts or hang around the leaderboard - but to win.
“When I first came out and turned pro, I didn’t care about making cuts or top-20s - I came out to win,” Morikawa said. “When [Rick] told me that yesterday, there was that mindset switch going into today.
I wanted to come out and win, win the weekend, win the tournament. Now we’ve given ourselves a chance.”
That mindset showed up in a big way on Saturday. Morikawa didn’t just play well - he played with intent, with confidence, and with the kind of control that has defined his best golf.
Can the Putter Keep Up?
The big question heading into Sunday: can the putter hold up under pressure? We know what the irons can do - they’ve already made history this week. But if Morikawa wants to hoist a trophy, he’ll need to roll a few key ones in when it matters most.
He’s confident he can do it.
“I think I can still be a very solid putter,” he said. “A consistent enough putter to where, when it comes down the stretch, you can make those putts.
I’ve seen it in the past. I’m going to dig deep into those memory banks a lot tomorrow, and we’ll figure it out after.”
If Saturday was any indication, Morikawa’s trending in the right direction. The swing is there.
The mindset is back. And even if the putter is still a work in progress, he’s given himself a shot - and that’s all he needs.