The 2025 major championship season was largely one to forget for Collin Morikawa, with the American failing to register a top 10 in the four biggest events of the year.
Collin Morikawa was arguably the most impressive player who failed to win on the PGA Tour in the opening weeks of the season. He finished second at both The Sentry and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It appeared that a victory was just around the corner.
Unfortunately, the wait for a first win since 2023 continues. And Morikawa had a mixed time in the majors, with reasonable finishes at The Masters and the US Open, and much tougher weeks at the PGA Championship and The Open Championship.
None of the major venues seemed to divide opinion quite like Oakmont, which hosted the US Open for the 10th time in June.
Collin Morikawa issues his verdict on Oakmont after playing it for the first time at the US Open
It is not a golf course which is going to be taken to the heart of golf fans like Augusta National or Royal Portrush. But it certainly delivered an exciting finish to the US Open, with J.J. Spaun the one player who finished under par for the week.
And speaking on Grant Horvat’s YouTube channel, Morikawa shared his verdict on the Pennsylvania track after playing it for the first time that week.
“I like trees, I like when they line courses,” he said.
“I never played [Oakmont] before. Oakmont was really fun though, I thought it was a very tough test.
“It was good. It was frustrating because you can’t make many birdies out there because there’s so much slope. If you hit it bad off the tee, you’re in the rough, very tough. But it was a great test, and obviously, who doesn’t love to see a winning score of one under?
“I think to change it up every once in a while, I enjoy it, I know for sure, because it’s a mental test. It is a full mental test as well as obviously you’ve got to play really, really well.”
Collin Morikawa’s US Open record throughout his career
The US Open is one of the two majors Morikawa needs to win to complete the Career Grand Slam – along with The Masters.
He finished in the top five in both 2021 and 2022, while he ended up tied for 14th at both LACC and Pinehurst. With that, his 23rd place finish this year was his worst result at the US Open since missing the cut at Winged Foot in 2020.
Oakmont meanwhile, will host the US Open again in 2033, as well as in 2042 and 2049. With Morikawa set to be 52 years of age by the time the 2049 event comes around, it seems that he will get a few more chances to win at the iconic venue.
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