The pressure would be at an all-time high with the finale for the FedEx Cup halfway through in Georgia. The golfers at the top of the scoreboard would be on their heels to not lose their position during the upcoming rounds. And Collin Morikawa would be especially so as he tops the leaderboard tied with Viktor Hovland at the East Lake Golf Course. Moreover, Morikawa joined Viktor Hovland’s exclusive ’61’ club by shooting a 9-under 61 in the first round of the Tour Championship.

Morikawa has had a bumpy year of sorts with him missing the cut at up to six events in 2023. But he has not let the rough track record affect him. He professed his love for the game after topping the leaderboard at the 2023 TOUR Championship, leaving many surprised and in awe of the golfer. Let us take a deeper look.

Collin Morikawa shares his love for the game of golf

Collin Morikawa started the finale at the 24th position in the FedEx rankings. The 26-year-old entered the competition with just a 1 under advantage as opposed to the 10 under for Scottie Scheffler. Nevertheless, the golfer propelled himself to the topmost spot with amazing gameplay. The ’61’ club is a group of golfers who have shot a 61 in a PGA Tour event. Hovland became the first member of the club in the second 2023 FedEx playoff event, and Morikawa joined him in the finale.

Talking about the disappointing last two years, Morikawa was quick to mention how it’s been frustrating, but his love for the game remains the same. The American golfer referred to how he loves being in the current spot as he said, “When you’re able to put yourself in contention… I know I love being in these positions.”

Collin embraced the current moment and said, “The best players in the world don’t shy away from these moments.”

However, the pro was quick to point out how the rest of the weekend was still left to play. Referring to a bunch of chasers behind him, he said it wouldn’t be a breeze to finish the tournament with the lead in place.

One can’t help but look at the player in awe as he takes pride in his comeback. Although the golfer had a good start to his professional career in 2019, he entered a slump in 2022. After that, it turned out to be a rough couple of years for Morikawa.

Morikawa’s performance in the last two years

In the last two years, Collin Morikawa could place himself in the top 10 only 11 times with no win coming out of them. The highest that the American finished was in the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic where he finished at T2 while settling for a score of 264 (-24) and the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions scoring 25-under 267.

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But, he made a spectacular comeback with a record-breaking 61 (-9) on the first day of the 2023 TOUR Championship. The 26-year-old PGA Tour pro achieved the same feat that his Norwegian counterpart Viktor Hovland recorded in the BMW Championship where he scored a record-breaking 61 as he registered his career-low score. Moreover, Collin followed it with a 64 (-6) in the second round as he tied with Hovland.

Do you think Morikawa will clinch the title this time around? Or do you have someone else in mind? Let us know in the comments below.

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