Collin Morikawa’s game is back.
Morikawa is firing on all cylinders after some really tough training in preparation for the start of the 2024 season. He shot a 3-under 68 at RBC Heritage on Saturday and is alone in third place at 14 under.
Of course, he is still two strokes behind Masters champion Scottie Scheffler.
Still, the California Berkeley graduate is confident he can get the job done this time.
“I definitely want to win. There’s no reason. Looking at the past two weeks, I was like, I’ve given myself a chance and it’s time to finish the other one,” Morikawa said after the round. Ta.
“I think I just have to stay within myself and play my game tomorrow. I’m really staying true to my game plan and staying true to how I planned this golf course and going from there. I have to go.”
It may take longer than that if he wants to add another title to his belt.
Scheffler is playing better than anyone since Tiger Woods in his prime in the early 2000s. He just doesn’t make mistakes.
Morikawa will need to have a very poor Sunday to win this week. But he certainly has the ability to do that as his game is picking up.
“I feel like when I used to play. The great thing is just finding a way to score and finding a way to maintain the lead,” Morikawa explained.
The two-time major champion shared a specific anecdote about his mental approach.
“Webb Simpson told me early in my career that if I had a chance with nine holes left or 18 holes on Sunday, I would have done a lot of work that I needed to do. It’s all about being dedicated and remembering that, staying in your own head and not trying to play someone else’s golf.”
Certainly, he can’t worry about what anyone else, including Scheffler, is doing. But he’s going to need to play great golf if he wants to finish this match. That’s almost certain.
Kendall Capps is the senior editor of SB Nation’s Playing Through.For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough On all major social media platforms.
