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RBC Heritage: Top 10 power rankings at Harbour Town

By Mike Randleman

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC - APRIL 17: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland (R) stands wtih his caddie during the second round of the Verizon Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links on April 17, 2009 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC - APRIL 17: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland (R) stands wtih his caddie during the second round of the Verizon Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links on April 17, 2009 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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FORT WORTH, TEXAS – JUNE 14: Collin Morikawa of the United States reacts to a missed putt on the 18th green during the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge on June 14, 2020 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TEXAS – JUNE 14: Collin Morikawa of the United States reacts to a missed putt on the 18th green during the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge on June 14, 2020 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Perhaps studying up on Harbour Town will help Collin Morikawa forget about the 18th hole at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He had plenty to smile about for most of the tournament as he was threatening for his second PGA Tour win in as many seasons.

The 23-year-old led or co-led for big chunks during the final round. He was limiting mistakes as other contenders squandered opportunities.

That changed when Morikawa had 5 feet, 9 inches for birdie on the 72nd hole. Playing in the penultimate group, this would have eventually been for the win but it slid by.

With scores of 64-67-67-67 (-15), Morikawa entered a playoff with Daniel Berger that began on the 18th.

Both missed the green and chipped to short range for par. Berger made his tap-in, while Morikawa lipped out a 4-footer that left him and everyone watching on TV stunned.

“I thought the course fit me really well. It’s a ball striker’s course, had to hit it in the fairway, and it was crazy because it just didn’t seem like I was hitting as many fairways as I normally do, which is something I’m going to have to work on the next week,” Morikawa as quoted by ASAP Sports.

You know you’re hitting it well when 64.29% fairways is unacceptable. He hit 83.33% greens in regulation on Sunday, too. He even gained 1.088 strokes putting, but missed a couple crucial ones down the stretch.

“But overall I think it fits my game really well,” Morikawa continued. “You’ve got to put it in the fairway, and from there it’s an approach shot course. Putting was working, short game was working this week, so a lot of positives to take, especially after this three-month break into the next few weeks.”

Getting in contention wasn’t a flash in the pan for the 23-year-old. He won as a rookie at the 2019 Barracuda Championship. He was runner-up at the 2019 3M Open and again this week.

He extended his made cut streak to a PGA Tour best 21. Morikawa owns seven top-10s and 20 top-50s in that span.

Morikawa is at the top of the game in terms of ball striking (1.194 SG approach, 4th). That will give him an advantage attacking Harbour Town’s small greens.

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