Morikawa claims 1st major with brilliant finish at PGA Championship
Collin Morikawa fired a final-round 64 on Sunday to emerge from a crowded leaderboard at the PGA Championship and claim his first major title.
The 23-year-old entered the day two shots back of Dustin Johnson, and he climbed his way into a share of the lead with three birdies and no bogeys through 10 holes. At one point, he was part of a seven-way tie for first.
But Morikawa began to separate himself with a brilliant chip-in for birdie on No. 14, followed by an eagle on the driveable par-4 16th. He reached 13-under with his bogey-free performance, winning by two strokes.
"It's amazing," Morikawa said afterward, according to ASAP Sports. "It's been a life goal, obviously as a little kid, kind of watching everyone grow up, all these professionals, and this is always what I've wanted to do."
Morikawa's weekend rounds of 65 and 64 mark the lowest closing 36-hole score in PGA Championship history. His 64 in Round 4 was the lowest final round from a PGA Championship winner since 1995.
The victory came during only his second appearance in a major, and it occurred shortly after Morikawa's second PGA Tour win four weeks ago at the Workday Charity Open. He'll move to No. 5 in the world rankings after his 28th start as a professional.
Here's the final leaderboard:
| Place | Player | To Par | R4 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Collin Morikawa | -13 | 64 |
| T2 | Paul Casey | -11 | 66 |
| T2 | Dustin Johnson | -11 | 68 |
| T4 | Matthew Wolff | -10 | 65 |
| T4 | Jason Day | -10 | 66 |
| T4 | Bryson DeChambeau | -10 | 66 |
| T4 | Tony Finau | -10 | 66 |
| T4 | Scottie Scheffler | -10 | 68 |
Johnson was unable to hold on to his 54-hole lead despite shooting 68 and finishing the week at 11-under par. He becomes the first player to go 0-for-4 at majors when leading or co-leading after three rounds.
Brooks Koepka, who trailed Johnson by two going into the final round, shot a 4-over 74 to plummet into a tie for 29th. It's his second-worst result at a major since the 2015 U.S. Open.
The PGA Tour heads to Greensboro, North Carolina, next week for the Wyndham Championship. The next major on the schedule is the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, set to take place Sept. 17-20.