Golf has always been known as a game of accuracy, patience, and elegance. However, for Collin Morikawa, a golfer who plays in the PGA Tour, and his wife, Katherine Zhu, the game of golf was even more important because it was the reason they met. The transition of both from college athletes to a successful couple in the golfing world is quite magical.

Their story starts in 2017, when Morikawa was a sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley. Two weeks before his first college triumph, Morikawa had just been defeated in a playoff. One day, a teammate on the women’s golf team showed him a picture of Zhu. Morikawa said in a YouTube interview with Golf. com “I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, of course, set me up.’ As a joke, but not as a joke”. He had no idea that this casual meeting would lead to a long-lasting relationship. Zhu’s teammate helped them get in touch, then Morikawa and Zhu started texting. After this, they met during spring break and started their romantic journey.

It was apparent that they both enjoyed golf from the start. They were both very successful collegiate golfers and knew the time and effort required to play the game. Morikawa attributes much of his success during his college years to Zhu, stating that the two were together when the latter was on a winning streak. He said, “I literally won five times or five more times throughout my college career. I’ve been with her since, and I credit a lot of the wins to her”.

Morikawa’s move to professional golf in 2019 can be described as a meteoric rise. He soon established himself on the PGA Tour, starting his career with 22 consecutive made cuts, a record only bettered by Woods. Among his six PGA Tour wins are two major championships: the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open Championship, two major championships that he won in his first attempt. On the other hand, Zhu, a former professional golfer, sometimes plays the role of a caddy for Morikawa and offers him advice and motivation.

A match made in Golf Heaven

The couple’s chemistry does not only exist on the golf course. Zhu’s transition from professional golfer to marathon runner in 2023 is evident and shows her determination. She ran her first half marathon in Malibu and has done other events such as the Rose Bowl Half Marathon and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in Las Vegas. Her new athletic activities are as rigorous as golf, and the discipline she showed in the game must have impressed Morikawa.

Their relationship was then sealed by marriage in December 2022. The couple exchanged their vows at Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles and invited only their closest friends and family members, as well as their Goldendoodle, Koa. The couple’s life in Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada is a combination of career advancement and happiness.

While Morikawa is steadily climbing the ladder of professional golf, occupying the 8th place in the Official World Golf Ranking at the time of writing this paper, Zhu stays a constant in his life. Her involvement in his career through caddying or even being his companion shows how deep their bond was. What do you think lies ahead for Collin Morikawa and Katherine Zhu? Share your thoughts and join the conversation below.