ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Collin Morikawa took one last look at the Claret Jug when he woke up Monday morning. After a year together, Morikawa finally had to say goodbye to the oldest trophy in professional golf. “It sucked. It really did,” he said about returning the prize for his triumph in last year’s Open Championship, when he became just the fifth player since World War II to win in his Open debut. “But I don’t want to dwell on the past,” he added. “I always look forward to what’s next.” This week, Morikawa will try to master one of the game’s most unique tests, the Old Course at St. Andrews. Jack Nicklaus called it golf’s toughest course to learn and said “there is nothing remotely like it,” thanks to its blind shots, dramatic humps and bumps and enormous greens. What’s next for Morikawa also may be a new approach to the aspect of the game that’s most responsible for his quick success as a pro. He’s been known as one of the TOUR’s top iron players since turning pro three years ago, but now he’s seeking to become more of a shot-shaper instead of relying almost exclusively on his trademark fade. Morikawa said last week that he “worked the ball more than ever” at the star-studded J.P. McManus Pro-Am that preceded the Genesis Scottish Open last week. That should be an asset this week, as firm conditions should only accentuate the effect of the Old Course’s slopes and swales. The crosswinds that blow across the historic grounds put a premium on players who can curve the ball both ways, as well. Nicklaus won here in 1970 after reluctantly tweaking his setup to hit right-to-left tee shots that held up against the prevailing wind. Morikawa said his emphasis is on playing the “right” shot for each occasion. His iron play is often compared to that of Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods, two players who consistently rank near the top of the TOUR’s Strokes Gained: Approach statistic. Now he’s trying to emulate them, as well. It was Woods who told Thomas years ago that he needed to add more shots to his repertoire. The constructive criticism came after the two played together in the 2018 Genesis Invitational. Thomas took it to heart and turned into one of the game’s best shot shapers. That skill was on full display during the second round of THE PLAYERS Championship, when high winds buffeted the course during a week of wild weather. Morikawa was playing with Thomas that day and was impressed with what he saw, calling it one of the best rounds he’d ever seen. “He had full control of his golf ball,” Morikawa said. “He worked it both ways. And the few times I’ve played with Tiger, … he worked the ball when he needed to. He played the right shots.” Perhaps a new approach could help Morikawa end the longest winless streak of his career. Last year’s Open Championship remains the most recent of Morikawa’s five PGA TOUR victories. The Open is his 20th start since that win. He still ranks 21st in the FedExCup thanks to two runners-up and top-five finishes in two of the year’s three majors. Those high finishes have come on the strength of strong Sunday rounds, however. “I am looking for something,” he admitted Monday. “I really haven’t been in contention at all this year in any tournament and it sucks because I love being in those spots.” Playing well at the U.S. Open even though he couldn’t call upon his usual left-to-right shot was a revelation, however. At times, he’s tried to force the fade even when it wasn’t working. But at Brookline he didn’t fight the slight draw that his swing produced that week. “That’s the biggest thing is having those nine windows, nine different shots, every little shot,” said Morikawa, referring to a phrase often used by Woods that represents every combination of height and shot shape. Especially at the Old Course. There may not be a course where such creativity is more important than the Old Course.
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