Collin Morikawa has never finished worse than seventh in his five starts at Kapalua. But he hasn't even beaten Sentry yet.
His most notable performance came in 2023, when he finished solo in second place behind Jon Rahm. He held a six-stroke lead after 54 holes, but three consecutive bogeys on the back nine and Rahm's 63 kept him out of the winner's circle. But that mistake doesn't take away from the fact that Morikawa continues to dominate this course.
He shot a bogey-free 7-under 66 on Thursday and trailed Tom Hoge by two strokes at the end of the first round. Morikawa made three birdies on the front nine and then made four consecutive birdies on the back with no mistakes.
“I got into a good groove on the back nine and made some putts and hit some really good shots, and that's what I have to do here,” Morikawa explained.
“If you hit well, you can get a lot of birdies.”
Since debuting at Kapalua in 2020, Morikawa has averaged a score of 67.8 and is more than five strokes under par on this par-73 layout. No fighter who has fought at least 20 rounds at Kapalua has a lower average. In this course, pga tour This event has been held every year since 1999.
Morikawa hit a shot better than even par only once, in the final round of the 2021 edition. Still, he recorded an even-par 73 and tied for 7th place.
Despite this, his career at Kapalua was marked by solid play and high-ranking finishes, but no wins to show for it when compared to the entire 2024 season.
“There are many ways to judge yourself,” Morikawa explained.
“Looking back, I would rate myself as having a good season with a win, but this year I’m going to take it one round at a time, one tournament at a time and really try my best.”
Still, the two-time major winner knows it's all about the hardware.
“[2024] We had a solid year this year, but at the end of the day it comes down to winning, so that's what we're focused on,” Morikawa added.
Indeed, Morikawa still has a sharp expression on his face. He hit 17 of the 18 greens in regulation on Thursday and sank many putts. But, as he pointed out, the former California Golden Bear is too far ahead to solve things one shot at a time. Maybe that's what bothered him here two years ago. Probably not.
Either way, after eight weeks without playing golf, Morikawa's game and mentality seem to be in the right place. This condition often leads to much success and many trophies. Maybe this week will be the week he finally gets a win on Maui, a place so near and dear to his heart.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
