Collin Morikawa, out of nowhere, has recaptured the form that once made him one of the very best players in the world.
He missed the cut at the Sony Open, the first event of the year, then finished T54 in his second event, the WM Phoenix Open. But then the American star claimed victory at Pebble Beach and recorded top-10 finishes at the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Morikawa was winless since 2023 before this season, but after one good week at Pebble Beach, he’s brimming with confidence and looks in full control of his game.
The timing is perfect, with the first major of the season, The Masters, just one month away. And he’ll enter Augusta National as one of the favourites to claim the Green Jacket.
So with the hype buzzing around him, Morikawa said whether he thinks he was better when he won his two major championships in 2020 and 2021, or now.
Collin Morikawa said he’s better now than he was when he won his two majors
In the build-up to this week’s Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, Morikawa was discussing the changes he is always making to his game in order to find small improvements.
He said that he’s never been fully satisfied in his golf game, and when asked if that applied to when he was winning major championships, he said, “No, well, I mean, there’s always things wrong. You’re always trying to tweak things. You’re always trying to improve.
“I would say I’m still a much better golfer now, just because I’ve learned a lot more, and I think I know how to just manage myself.
“But swing-wise and body mechanics-wise, like nothing got in the way. I had my tendencies. I knew how to fix those tendencies; whereas last year, two years ago, three years ago, the tendencies were creeping in, but they were creeping in for maybe different reasons.
“And then, like all the things that used to fix it, let’s say I had 10 things that I used to be able to go to, and if I could cross out all 10 of those things, my swing was fixed. Not all 10, but if I just tried one, okay.
“That’s like — when those start not working, then you start thinking like, man, like what’s wrong? And then you go down another rabbit hole and you keep going down these rabbit holes, and eventually you end up digging yourself a grave, unfortunately.”
How Collin Morikawa’s start to 2026 compares to 2020 and 2021
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 and 2021 PGA Tour schedules were put together completely differently to other years. In fact, the 2020 PGA Championship was the only major of the season.
But throughout the season, Morikawa was playing consistently well. He won the Workday Charity Open, and lost a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge before winning the PGA Championship.
He missed only one cut before the major, and had five top 10s, including a T9 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
And the next year was even better. Morikawa had eight top 10s in 2021, including three at major championships and a win at The Open Championship. He did start the year with a missed cut at the US Open, but after a series of mediocre events, he turned his form around with a top 10 at the Sony Open.
But so far this year, Morikawa has been playing far better golf. Statistically, he’s been far better off the tee and with his irons than in both of his major-winning years, and his results have been consistently fantastic.
If we can learn anything from the past, it’s that Morikawa is going to win his third major championship this year.