ATLANTA — When Collin Morikawa heard his identify referred to as on the primary tee on Friday, he confronted a seven-shot deficit to World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who blistered the newly restored East Lake the day earlier than.
Morikawa knew he needed to play aggressively to offer himself an opportunity, as Scheffler would little doubt proceed to waltz across the property. He’s too good of a participant to not. However the California child additionally knew he needed to stick with his sport plan whereas not specializing in Scheffler’s huge lead.
Mission achieved.
Morikawa fired a masterful 8-under 63, the bottom spherical of the week so far on the Tour Championship. He appeared answerable for his sport, particularly off the tee, although Scheffler bombed it well beyond him as a rule. Just like the deficit he confronted, the distinction in driving distance between Friday’s closing pairing didn’t part Morikawa both.
“He’s such a great participant that you understand he’s going to maintain going low and making birdies,” Morikawa mentioned of his taking part in companion.
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“I noticed that firsthand. I’ve seen it for years. For me, it’s simply need to preserve my foot on the fuel and stick with my sport plan.”
Morikawa made 9 birdies on Friday, two greater than another participant. However he did make a bogey on the par-3 eleventh, a gap by which the tour moved the tees up due to the firmness of the greens. It performed solely 174 yards, a short-iron for many gamers, but Morikawa airmailed the inexperienced and did not stand up and down.
“Simply not an important bogey,” Morikawa mentioned.
“Particularly after I felt fairly good by means of the spherical.”
He had each cause to take action.
Morikawa carded a 4-under 31 on the entrance 9, highlighted by a spectacular method on the par-4 seventh. After Scheffler bombed it 43 yards previous him, Morikawa knocked his second shot to a few toes, 5 inches, and made his birdie attempt. That was his second of three straight par-breakers.
Extra birdies adopted on the again 9 after his misstep at 11.
On the par-4 thirteenth, Morikawa chipped in for birdie whereas Scheffler did not stand up and down from a fried egg lie within the sand. A two-shot swing all of a sudden made issues a bit extra fascinating as Scheffler’s lead went from seven to 5.
It then dwindled to 4 on the following gap, the par-5 14th. Morikawa made birdie, however Scheffler did not convert his alternative. He settled for a par, as Morikawa walked to the fifteenth tee at 15-under.
Then, a lightning delay suspended play for 90 minutes.
“Truthfully, the final three holes popping out, typically after a break like that, you don’t lose rhythm, however you simply lose type of that vitality,” Morikawa mentioned.
Regardless of that, Morikawa maintained his focus, although Scheffler got here out and fired proper on the flagstick on the par-4 sixteenth. His birdie there prolonged his lead again to 5. However Morikawa knew he needed to press on. He closed with a pair of birdies on 17 and 18 to chop the deficit again to 4—Scheffler additionally birdied the par-5 18th.
“Simply caught to my sport plan,” Morikawa emphasised.
“Truthfully, I simply stored hitting my photographs and made a bunch of putts right this moment, which was good.”
That he did.
And now, Morikawa has an outdoor likelihood of successful the FedEx Cup. He should face a large deficit at this juncture, however he nearly minimize it in half on Friday, a formidable accomplishment contemplating the tall job at hand. If he can proceed to stay to his sport plan and gap some putts, Morikawa might chase Scheffler down in spite of everything.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. Make sure to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.
