Collin Morikawa is looking to make it back-to-back ZOZO Championship victories at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Japan this week.
The world number four is part of a strong field that has made the trip across the Pacific, which also includes Xander Schauffele, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas and Max Homa.
United States Presidents Cup star Morikawa is making his first appearance since Jim Furyk’s side clinched a tenth straight victory at Royal Montreal Golf Club.
The 27-year-old was a vital part of the USA team and will be looking to continue his excellent form in Japan. Despite Morikawa wanting to improve his consistency in order to compete more regularly with Scottie Scheffler, the American has admitted there’s a part of his game he can always count on.
Collin Morikawa can always ‘rely’ on his iron play on the PGA Tour
During a recent blog on the PGA Tour’s website, Morikawa initially relived his 2023 victory at the ZOZO Championship.
“Before the win [2023 ZOZO Championship], I had not won for nearly two years, and I decided to take a few steps back to try and understand the foundation that made me such a solid player, like back when I was playing so good from 2019-21,” Morikawa explained.
“Sometimes, you have to understand from a very basic level why your golf game works, and we were able to figure a few things out in Japan. Also, it helps that the putter got hot, which is always nice, and I put together quite a few great iron shots when I needed to.”
The two-time major winner then went on to identify his excellent iron play as a strength that helps him stay out of trouble.
“That’s always been my strength; even when I don’t hit it great, my iron play is still proving to be the one aspect of my game that I can rely on,” Morikawa added.
PGA Tour statistics paints surprising picture for Collin Morikawa
Morikawa’s iron play has widely been regarded as one of his strengths. However, the statistics paint a slightly different picture.
The positive is that the American gains 0.28 strokes with his approaches to the greens, which sees him ranked 46th on the PGA Tour.
However, rather interestingly, Morikawa ranks 135th for greens in regulation, hitting the putting surface 65 per cent of the time. Of course, other factors are also at play, but iron play is a significant aspect of hitting greens frequently.
Furthermore, Morikawa ranks 123rd in proximity to the hole with his approaches and 168th for shots greater than 200 yards.
The two-time major winner is undoubtedly an elite iron player, but other parts of his game, such as his driving, have underpinned his success in 2024.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
