Johnson Wagner has lauded Collin Morikawa following his long-awaited seventh PGA Tour victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this past week.
Collin Morikawa emerged from the pack to claim victory at Pebble Beach on Sunday. It was a significant moment for Morikawa, who announced following the win that he is expecting his first child later in the year.
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Morikawa had come close to winning on a number of occasions since the ZOZO Championship in 2023. Most notably, he seemed to have the Arnold Palmer Invitational title within his grasp last year before losing out to Russell Henley.
But getting across the line could be a game-changer for the 29-year-old.
Collin Morikawa backed to contend in multiple majors this year
Morikawa certainly has the talent to be one of the most successful players of this era. He already has two major titles to his name. And 2025 was the first time since 2019 that Morikawa has failed to register a top 10 in the four biggest events of the year.
With that, Johnson Wagner has told CBS that he is optimistic about Morikawa’s chances in the majors this year.
“I think Collin can win on any golf course, with his iron play. I want to take us back to 16 on Sunday when he laid way back. Most players into the wind were hitting driver down to the bottom of the hill, trying to get a good angle with a wedge into that difficult back right flag. He lays up, he has 177 in and hits one of the closest shots of the day. I think this is not an outlier,” he said.
“You go back to two years ago in ’24, he was in the hunt every single week and just seemed to get beat. It wasn’t necessarily self-inflicted wounds. I think obviously the comments he made in not talking to the media after losing at Bay Hill last year, and then doubling down at The Players Championship, I think that had an effect on him. I think the crowd turned on him. He went through a bunch of different caddies. And when you look at Collin at the start of this year, he’s got a new guy on the bag, Mark Urbanek, who was a long time caddie for Tony Finau. Mark is a really calming influence, and I think that’s going to be a combination that’s going to play really well.
“I think Collin’s going to be in contention in multiple majors this year.”
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Wagner certainly has reason to think that Morikawa will be competitive in the majors this season.
He has registered seven top five finishes in 24 starts. Scottie Scheffler, meanwhile, has nine in 25.
Although Morikawa has not won one of the biggest prizes since 2021, he enjoyed a superb 2024 where his worst major finish was tied for 16th.
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He was back to his old self at Pebble Beach…
You have to think that his win at Pebble Beach will free him up a lot more. Morikawa spoke of wanting to enjoy the victory rather than look too far ahead after making that mistake earlier in his career.
He will be desperate to ensure that he does not go the best part of three years without another victory. However, for now, he can play with all of the belief and confidence in the world.
That version of Collin Morikawa is very dangerous.
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