After winning the 149th Open, Collin Morikawa delivered an ominous message, saying: "I can get a lot better"
Collin Morikawa: “I Can Get A Lot Better”
Fresh off his second major victory at The 149th Open, Collin Morikawa admitted there is still room for improvement in his game as he looks to build on the incredible putting display that ushered him to victory at Royal St George’s.
Going by the stats, the 24-year-old is streaks clear when it comes to approach play but ranks 172nd for strokes gained: putting this season on the PGA Tour.
However, on Sunday in Sandwich, Morikawa produced a ruthless performance on the greens to claim and then consolidate the lead all the way to the finish and lift the Claret Jug.
“Definitely one of the best, especially inside ten feet,” he said when asked where he would rank his final-round putting performance. “I felt like it was as solid as it’s going to get. I don’t think I really missed many from that distance.
“Especially in a major. I think in a major on a Sunday in contention, I wasn’t thinking about anything other than making a putt. I’m going to tell myself probably tomorrow, ‘why can’t I keep doing that all the time?’
“But you know, I’m going to try to figure out what worked today and use that for the future because I know I can putt well. I know I can putt well in these pressure situations. I’ve just got to keep doing that.
“Everything about my stats say I’m not a good putter statistically. I feel like I can get a lot better.
Related: Marvellous Morikawa makes history by winning The 149th Open
“But in these situations I feel like everything is thrown off the table. Forget about all your stats, who can perform well in these situations.
“That’s why I think over the past few majors you’ve seen a lot of the same names up there, because they believe in their game, they know what they’re doing when they practice, and they’re able to bring it out in these big moments.
“Thankfully, I was able to put it out there on Sunday today and close it out.”
The American ranked joint first for the week on the greens, utilising a variation of the claw and conventional grip to devastating effect.
Having switched into what is known as the saw hold recently in a bid to improve this aspect of his game, the 24-year-old putted ‘conventionally’ from distance to combat the slower nature of the links surfaces at the year’s final major.
Asked why he adopted the unusual practice of using two different grips, he said: “It’s a feel thing, but it’s more I couldn’t get the tempo on the saw grip. I think the saw grip is amazing for me. It’s going to continue to be in my bag and as I continue to putt.
“But from outside 25, 30 feet I just couldn’t get that hit. I couldn’t get that tempo that you see like a Brandt Snedeker put on his putts. That is something you need out here because the greens are slower than what we’re used to playing.
“Just switching to conventional, I didn’t have to change anything mentally. I just kind of went at it like I normally felt, and kind of matched the speeds.
“That’s something that without my caddie, J.J., I wouldn’t have figured out on my own.”
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