AVONDALE, La. — Collin Morikawa looked dejected.
He missed just his third cut out of 13 events in this season. Not bad for most PGA Tour professionals, but Morikawa was anything but average – remember when he started his career with 22 consecutive cuts? Remember that Max Homa was his partner in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. This is the only two-man event on the Tour.
What if you were to head home on Friday, after shooting 8-under-136 in both four-ball and the foursomes formats – two strokes under the cutline -? Inconceivable!
Morikawa would have had a reason to pout, if he hadn’t punched a hole in the wall of a locker-room. He could have made a quick escape. He’s not into these things. He donned his watch and shared a few drinks with his caddie J.J. Jakovac before grabbing his Sharpie.
One of the kids had a yellow banner with the Zurich Classic Logo purchased from the Fan Shop nearby. He was so accustomed to collecting autographs that he began having players write their names on the flag’s back. Morikawa, when the child asked him to sign the wrong side, tried to convince him otherwise and tried to explain in a not-so subtle way, “Do you know me? The kid wanted to sign on the wrong side of the flag, so Morikawa tried to talk him out of it and in not-so-subtle ways explained: “Do you know who I am?” He signed a homemade HomaKawa t-shirt that did not age well.
This shirt did not age well but at least he got it signed pic.twitter.com/CLEDNLRKhA
Adam Schupak April 22, 2020 HTML0
But Morikawa reserved his best moment for a young fan wearing a bucket-hat. The fan turned on his iPhone’s voice recorder like a veteran reporter and started asking Morikawa questions.
Q. What is the most difficult part about being on Tour?
CM: Just manage your expectations and enjoy the travel as much you can. Some guys travel 35 weeks per year. We travel between 20 and 30 weeks. Even though I used to play a lot golf as a kid, it’s a completely different lifestyle.
The aspiring reporter had a fantastic follow-up question, and Morikawa took it very seriously.
A: What is the impact of all your travels and being away for such a long time from your family?
CM: It’s tough. You need to learn how to enjoy time off the golf course. We spend so much of our time here. We had a rainy delay today and I arrived at the office at 9 am and it is now 7 pm.
Morikawa was able to walk away from the interview at this point, and make this child’s day. But the interview continued.
Q: What are your thoughts on a shot?
CM: For me, a lot is about seeing the shot. I will most likely hit a cut, and then move the ball from left to right. It’s all about the tempo. I like to go back a little more slowly and make an impact.
Q. When did you first start playing?
My first lesson was at the age of 5. I enjoyed it and practiced a lot on my own. It was a slow process, but I gradually improved. When you are good at something, you can have fun. It’s great to see so many of the guys I’ve known since I was about 10 years old. It’s easier to play against older players that you have played with or watched on television since you were your age.
Morikawa also recalled the time when he played with Tiger Woods and Jon Rahm, both of whom were his childhood favorites, during the Farmers Insurance Open’s first two rounds.
Morikawa stated, “That was the coolest thing I’ve done.”
The impromptu conversation with a former major champion was a great experience for an aspiring reporter.
Ruann01, a Twitter follower, said it best with a comment. “If you could choose anything in this life to be choose kindness.” Imagine what this meant to the youngster.
After being cut from the final list, @collin_morikawa answered questions for everyone. This 13-14-year-old fan is an aspiring journalist and will probably take over my job in ten years. @Zurich_Classic pic.twitter.com/LQ4JZpEiin
Adam Schupak (@AdamSchupak April 22, 2020
