Collin Morikawa is a winner on the PGA Tour once again, and how!
Morikawa, from La Canada Flintridge and Cal, posted brilliant, bogey-free seven-under par 63 to win the Zozo Championship by a whopping six strokes over Beau Hossler of Rancho Santa Margarita and rookie Eric Cole of Palm Springs in the Zozo Championship at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan, on the outskirts of Tokyo.
This is the fourth of seven tournaments in the PGA Tour’s Fall Series. Next up is the World Wide Technology Championship beginning this Thursday at El Cardonal at Diamonte in Los Cabos, Mexico.
“It feels so great to win here, especially with me being half Japanese,” said Morikawa, whose last victory came in the 2021 Open Championship Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Kent, England. “Having my wife, Katherine, here with me makes if even more special.
“I was two strokes back to start the day, but got off to a good start, even though I missed some birdie putts early. But I felt good about my game and it was nice to finish off the front nine with four birdies, including two on Nos. 8 and 9. I just kept going from there and giving myself chances for birdies and made some more of them.
“My game just felt so good from start to finish, and this victory feels so special that I really can’t explain it.”
Morikawa, who claimed his seventh PGA Tour victory, including two major titles, made four birdies on the front nine and three more coming home to record a winning score of 14-under-par 266.
Hossler, the first-round leader at 65, made a birdie on the last hole to close with a 70, while Cole also birdied the last hole in another 70 as both fell short of their first victory on the PGA Tour.
Robby Shelton, who won four times on the Korn Ferry Tour, birdied the last to holes to cap a bogey-free 65 and wound up six shots behind in a tie for fourth with Ryo Ishikawa of Japan, who birdied four of the five holes for a 67.
Min Woo Lee of Australia, who last week captured the SJM Macao Open on the Asian Tour, eagled the first hole and birdied the last for a 65 and finished seven behind in a tie for sixth with Kensei Hirata of Japan, who carded a bogey-free 66, Rio Hisatune of Japan, who also had a bogey-free 66 thanks to birdies on three of the last four holes, and J.J. Spaun of Los Angeles and San Diego State, who had four birdies on the front nine in a 68.
Third-round leader Justin Suh of San Jose and USC made only two birdies while struggling to a 74 and wound up nine strokes behind in a tie for 10th with Emiliano Grillo of Argentina, who made two birdies on each nine in a 71.
Defending champion Keegan Bradley, who also captured the 2011 PGA Championship, birdied the last hole to close with a 69 and tied for 19th, sixth-ranked Xander Schauffele birdied two of the last three holes to cap a 71 and tied for 38th, while local favorite Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, the 2021 Zozo champion, made only two birdies in a 71 and tied for 51st.
For complete results, visit: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard
