Collin Morikawa has deservedly put himself in fine company after following Tiger Woods in becoming only the second man to win a WGC event and a major before the age of 25.
Given no-one else has managed the feat shows you how impressive his accomplishment is.
We all know how raw a talent he is, but his play in the last 19 months has been phenomenal and he is now backing up the fabulous potential he has by producing consistently.
He has played on the European Tour in that time too, which shows me he wants to be a global competitor and he has certainly earned his place in that bracket now as one of the leading players in the world.
What impressed me so much in the final round of the WGC-Workday Championship in Florida on Sunday was how ruthless he was. He was flawless on the back nine to the point he never gave anyone trying to catch him a glimmer of hope they could reel him in.
But what I really like about him is the fact he is achieving his success while not being a long hitter. In an era where there is so much focus on power and distance off the tee, Morikawa has shown everyone that if your iron play and putting is good then you can still win.
On Sunday, his iron play was sublime.
It was fitting Morikawa should join Tiger in a now select club of two on a day when so many paid tribute to our injured colleague by wearing his traditional red and black Sunday outfit for the final round. We are all still processing the terrible car accident and the serious injuries he has suffered, but I thought it was a lovely touch to see so many pay tribute to him and recognise just how big an impact he has had on the game.
"I don't think we say thank you enough, so I want to say thank you to Tiger.”
Collin Morikawa just won his fourth PGA Tour event. He joins Tiger Woods as the only players to have won a major and WGC title before age 25 🙏
(via @GolfChannel)pic.twitter.com/AotWHjQgAG
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 28, 2021
Tiger is the best of my generation. I didn’t see Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus in their prime, but, to use a football analogy, Tiger is up with them just as Lionel Messi is with the likes of Diego Maradona and Pele.
He changed the game and has helped to raise its profile to the level it now receives globally.
He has dominated the golfing media for decades and is in the spotlight everywhere he goes, but in terms of his peers on tour we all recognise and have the utmost respect for what he has done in the game.
Sunday was an easy way to show a collective appreciation for what he has done and if he took solace in it then that’s great too.
Pelley team spot on to test tour options
It is too early to say history beckons for the European Tour, but Keith Pelley and his team should be commended for looking at alternatives in the event we cannot play in Spain and Portugal next month.
Three tournaments – the Tenerife Open, the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open and the Portugal Masters – may not go ahead as scheduled due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic.
Right now, Spain is a no-go area while Portugal is in the red zone. It could all change with one announcement, but European Tour officials are investigating alternatives in the event we lose those three events as it would mean many having to without any tournament golf in April.
Thanks to our strategic alliance with the PGA Tour, they have said we could play three events in Florida instead. It would be a first to take the European Tour to the United States, but nothing has been confirmed at this stage.
I would expect a deadline will be set for some point this month when a decision has to be made one way or another, but I know the players just want to play. If we do go to the US then hopefully the events in Spain and Portugal can be rescheduled.
Delighted to hear of Knox’s motivation
I have a degree of sympathy for Russell Knox who still rues the fact he missed out on a place in the European team for the Ryder Cup in 2016.
But I’m thrilled to see him aiming to use that disappointment as a motivational tool to make the team in the future.
John Daly won two majors and was not chosen for the US team either, so I don’t think there is any specific reason why certain players have been left out in the past.
It really all depends on who the automatic qualifiers are. Once eight spots are known the captain has to assess potential partnerships and the experience of the team as a whole.
Unfortunately for Russell that counted against him. But if he believes it can fire him up to make the team in the future, good luck to him.