Collin Morikawa, a PGA Tour pro, spent approximately 2 1/2 hours practicing putting on Wednesday. This was ahead of the Zozo championship in Japan. This is not unusual for a PGA Tour professional, but Morikawa, along with his caddie JJ Jakovac, found a secret that helped him have one of his most successful putting weeks this season. On Sunday, when it really mattered, he could not miss.
What did he discover just hours before the event began that made the difference and helped him win his first PGA Tour tournament since the British Open in 2021?
He said, “Yeah. Yeah, we found a solution and we will stick with it.” “You never know if it will be right or not, but there was something off. It was something I couldn’t understand. JJ and I looked at each other and tried a lot of different things. We weren’t really changing much. We were just looking at putts in a new way.
“We stuck with it. It was great to see the putts continue in the first round. It was nice to see a lot more putts in the first round.
Closing out the win in style @Collin_Morikawa | @ZOZOCHAMP pic.twitter.com/9RBXiqL9h5
— PGA TOUR October 22, 2020
It sounds good, but Morikawa didn’t give any details about what he changed. Was it his grip or his alignment? Did he use AimPoint, or did he rely on his instinctive read of the target? He didn’t share. His questioner wanted to know more, so he asked him for additional information.
“No, no, nope,” Morikawa replied.
Next question.
Morikawa will never be mistaken for Rory McIlroy. To our delight, he may be a sharer. Morikawa is not the first to keep a secret. He has done this with several changes he made this season. In July, Morikawa opened the Rocket Mortgage Classic with a 66. He was then asked if there had been any changes since he played in Hartford the previous week.
He replied, “Yes, sort of.” I found the most important thing after my pro am yesterday afternoon. It’s taken a lot to get the ball moving on the course.
“Like I’ve said, good shots are great, but it’s hard because I can hit five or ten balls on the range and they look good. But when you get to the course, that’s when shots count. Yesterday I found something that was nice and then worked from there. I won’t say anything, so …”
I covered this event, and I tried again.
He said “It is in my golfing swing,” which didn’t help to clarify the situation.
In light of his unwillingness to divulge, I tried another tactic: Why don’t you want to tell me?
He explained that it was still in the process of being completed, which I can understand. “I think the basic thoughts, and swing thoughts, are what I’m thinking about. It’s not complicated, at all. It’s the least complex thing.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to share this simple golf tip with other golfers, who are always on the lookout for their own fix.
After another successful round, he answered “It is pretty simple to be honest.” “I’m not going to reveal it, but I will tell you later.”
“I didn’t believe you were,” I replied.
He said: “If I win, I will tell you Sunday. That’s an honest answer.”
He lost to Rickie FOWLER in a playoff, so his secret was kept a secret.
Morikawa was asked by a journalist, “Is there anything specific that you have found in your swing over the past couple of weeks that allows you to feel so much control?”
Morikawa replied, “Yes, we found it Tuesday, and I won’t tell you.”
Morikawa said he’d share details with me on Sunday if he was the winner, but he faded over the weekend.
He didn’t share his joy with the journalists present, even though he was elated.
Collin, you’re a curious mind.
