Sony Open: Why Collin Morikawa Will Win at Waialae

Collin Morikawa has the game and is gaining more confidence with each start. Why will he will this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii?

Collin Morikawa is one of the brightest young stars on the PGA Tour. He showed what he can do last season, winning twice on tour, including his first major.

Both of his wins last season were quite impressive. First, at the Workday Charity Open, he chased down Justin Thomas on the final four holes, then beat him in a playoff.

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Then, he won his first major championship title at the PGA Championship. For someone so young, it was an impressive feat.

And, let’s be honest, Morikawa has been nothing but impressive during his short stint on the PGA Tour. He has made 38 starts (two as an amateur) on tour and has three wins already. He also has a pair of runner-up finishes and 11 total Top 10s. So, in about every four starts, Morikawa has been in the Top 10.

His 2020-21 season had not been anything special until last week. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open and at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open to start the season.

Morikawa tied for 12th at the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek, followed by a tie for 50th at the Zozo Championship. His final start in 2020 came at the Masters, where he tied for 44th.

But after taking nearly two months off, Morikawa looked more like himself last week.

Playing the Sentry Tournament of Champions, Morikawa was impressive. He opened with a 69 on Thursday, then shot 65 on Friday. He followed that with another 65 on Saturday to put himself in a tie for third entering Sunday’s final round.

Morikawa picked a bad time to have his worst round of the week. He ended up shooting 73 which dropped him from third into a tie for seventh. Still, it was another Top 10 for him.

The prediction here is that Morikawa takes another step in his progression this week. Playing the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Morikawa should have two feelings as he begins play. One, he should feel confident in his game after last week’s performance.

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Two, he should feel good about how he played at the Sony Open last season. He shot 65 on Thursday, 70 on Friday, 68 on Saturday and 72 on Sunday. That left him in a tie for 21st. He was six shot behind winner Cameron Smith, and easily could have finished higher.

Look for Morikawa to pull off the win this week. It will be four wins in 39 starts for one of the tour’s brightest young stars.

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