It was a final round filled with much drama and action. But at the end of it all, Collin Morikawa has emerged victorious, claiming the Claret Jug at the 149th Open Championship at Royal St. Georges Golf Club. The California-native finished with a final score of 15-under par and a two shot win over Jordan Spieth. This is Morikawa's second major win, his first being the 2020 PGA Championship. He also makes history as the first golfer to win two majors in his first appearances at them and the first golfer since Bobby Jones in 1926 to win two majors in eight starts.
Morikawa's round began today a single stroke back of Louis Oosthuizen, his final round playing partner. The two exchanged pars until the fourth hole, when Oosthuizen bogeyed to even up them up. However, on the 7th hole, the momentum swung in Morikawa's favour.
The par 5 572 yard 7th hole played as the easiest hole on the course in the first three rounds, however Oosthuizen landed his second shot into a greenside bunker, with Morikawa in a safe position near the green. Louis was left with a relatively easy bunker shot and had some green to work with. But, in one of the few errors he made all week, Louis caught the ball thin and sent it flying over the green into the opposite bunker. Some good putting later and Louis escaped with only a bogey, but Morikawa on the other hand, had birdied for a two-shot swing. Two more birdies on the eighth and ninth holes and Collin found himself with a four shot lead at the turn.
As impressive as Morikawa's attacking mindset was, his ability to scramble is what ultimately won him the tournament, in my opinion. In our Open Championship preview, we spoke about how the toughness of links golf can overwhelm younger players and that experienced players typically win the Open. Collin Morikawa had never played in an Open Championship before. While indeed a younger player at 24 years old, Collin Morikawa played his final round today with so much poise, calmness and experience that you simply could not tell that this was his first time playing an Open Championship. It was unlike anything I've seen before and such a remarkable feat. His character was especially tested on holes 10 and 15, where he sank two tough putts to save par, after poor iron shots prior.
In the months since his 2020 PGA Championship win, critiques of Morikawa have cited the lack of crowds at said tournament as the reason why he won (recall that the 2020 PGA Championship was played under COVID-19 protocols). His win this week has proved that he can win under any circumstances. It's no easy feat to play the way Collin played, to have the courage to attack the course with so much on the line or the mindset to make clutch par saves.
And he did this all while having to adapt to a new style of golf course. Morikawa admitted prior that he was unfamiliar with links golf. He ultimately decided to play the Scottish Open one week earlier and said that he would not have been able to win this week if he hadn't done so. Morikawa embraced links golf and respected the style of play that it lends itself to, whether its using the slopes to his advantage or hitting different kinds of shots. And he was aware of that, as he mentioned in his post-round interview:
“To come here on debut and win it… The Open Championship is going to be part of my life for the rest of my life no matter what happens."
-Colin Morikawa after his 2021 Open Championship win
When you look at all these factors at the same time, one can easily see why Colin Morikawa's Open Championship win is one of the most impressive major performances in recent years.
***
Despite a promising forecast of high winds, we saw a benign version of Royal St. Georges over the weekend. In fact, the final round scoring average was the lowest in Open Championship history. Many players took advantage of these conditions including the likes of Brooks Koepka, Bryson de Chambeau and Rickie Fowler, who all rallied to shoot 65s, the low round of the day. While the conditions did take away some of the excitement from the tournament, players still had to contend with the difficult bunkers and slopes of Royal St. Georges.
We also saw a good Canadian feature on the weekend between Mackenzie Hughes (T6) and Corey Connors (T15). Both Hughes and Connors played so well that they even featured in the TV coverage; something not seen too often. They showed this week that they can play good golf on some of the toughest courses, in some of the toughest tournaments. It's safe to say that Canadian golf is in a good place!
On a final note, let's take a look at how our picks finished the tournament:
1) Louis Oosthuizen: T3 at 11-under
2) Paul Casey: T15 at 5-under
3) Ian Poulter: T26 at 3-under
You have to feel bad for Louis, who despite a great effort and some genuinely excellent golf at times, could not get it done this week. During his final round, he struggled with his putting and his iron accuracy, which had been spot on all week. His did show signs of life though, nearly carding a hole-in-one on the par 3 11th hole, which played a staggering 256 yards today and was the toughest hole all week. He also has several attempts at birdies throughout. But seeing the kind of player Louis is, and the commitment he shows to his game, he will be back. And on the plus side, it's still a T3 finish at a major!
Casey and Poulter also had respectable finishes, with Casey carding a 70 and Poulter a 68 for their final rounds. These two are really some of my favourite golfers to watch and its great to see their games in such a good place. Who said professional golf is a young person's profession?
And just like that another Open Championship has come to a close. After all the waiting for this tournament, I can safely say with confidence that this was one of the better editions of the tournaments, especially from a spectator's perspective. It was a real treat to watch Morikawa at work and the confidence and clutchness he brought. A well deserved win, without question.
Next year, the Open Championship returns home to St. Andrews for its 150th anniversary. Who knows what drama that will bring!
-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews
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