Collin Morikawa corrects ‘stupid’ decision; the vaults have been controversial
Ahead of Thursday’s opening round of the US Open, Collin Morikawa made a “stupid” decision.
On Thursday, he woke up.
The score was 8 shots better. In breezy sunshine at Shinnecock Hills, Morikawa shot a five-under 65, rebounding from a first-round 73 to jump up the leaderboard. He finished the day under two in the tournament, tied for fourth, with much of the field still to go.
What caused this change?
His episode. Specifically, the sole.
On Friday afternoon, Morikawa revealed that he played his first round with a new wedge – the same TaylorMade MG5 60 SB he usually uses, but without the interference. The movement backfired.
“I tend to be kind [take] little explosion. It’s stupid for me to do it,” said Morikawa.
This decision came after practice on Monday. Shinnecock was rained out Sunday night, leaving the course soft and wet for Morikawa to look around for setup. Working with chips after the 10th hole, he found himself digging the club into the ground.
Most golfers would read that as a reason to add bounce, not remove it, as more bounce helps maintain the leading edge in the hole. But Morikawa was playing the long game. He expected the course to be tougher on Thursday, and thought the treacherous, green lies that come with the firm turf would be a good fit.
“I knew it was going to stop,” she said. “I felt like it was right. So I didn’t digest it.”
He took that new offense into Thursday’s opening round and his short game was not as sharp as he would have liked.
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“Just yesterday, average chip shot,” he said. “It’s partly technically bad, but partly [it] I felt like everything was going to jump. Out here, you have to have a very low point. You have to know what the spin is going to be. “
Golf is nothing if not a game of conditioning. After completing a weather-delayed first round on Friday morning, Morikawa reversed his decision. He returned to his bag and in came the sword he had trusted all season, a bumper and more.
He said: “I went back to my old place right after I finished this morning. “Whether it worked or not, it just gave me enough confidence to call them. I felt like I was hitting the best chip shots out there.”
It’s been that kind of season for Morikawa, a campaign marked by changes beyond his control. A back injury kept him out of the Players in March and he went on to make enough appearances to cost him a start before the Masters. He has been carrying that story ever since. However, on Thursday, his body seemed fine. It was his decision making and his equipment that betrayed him. By Friday, he was ready again.
