Sam Torrance: Megastar Collin Morikawa sharpening his game with saw grip; plus Viktor Hovland, Branden Grace and Tiger Woods
I remember one of the first times I saw Collin Morikawa play, he was going head to head down the stretch with Matthew Wolff.
Both were fresh out of college – this was Morikawa’s fourth start on the PGA Tour and Wolff’s third – so it was fairytale stuff.
And although Wolff won the 3M Open that day in July 2019, it was Morikawa who actually made the bigger impression on me.
A little over a year later he won his first Major at the US PGA Championship. A future megastar was born.
On Sunday, Morikawa won his fourth professional title in 19 months at the WGC Workday Championship.
The 24-year-old is a phenomenon. But for all his success, he felt like one aspect of his game had been holding him back: his putting.
In the search for a solution he tried the ‘saw grip’ popularised by former Masters and Open winner Mark O’Meara.
The pair are both members of the Summit Club in Las Vegas, where O’Meara gave Morikawa a few putting tips.
At first, it didn’t help Morikawa much, and as recently as last week he finished tied for 43rd at the Genesis Invitational.
But he stuck with it, which was a big call. And it paid off in Florida at the weekend as he eased to a three-shot win.
Listen to the other players on the circuit and they will tell you how brilliantly Morikawa strikes a ball.
He is obviously a superlative player. If he is happy with his putting now then his career can go anywhere.
Hovland a breath of fresh air
Sharing second behind Morikawa was another hugely exciting young player, Viktor Hovland.
The Norwegian, 23, suffered a quadruple bogey at the ninth – his last hole of the round – on Friday.
He took it with a pinch of salt and a big smile, and bounced back over the weekend, finishing with a five-under-par 67.
Hovland is aggressive, a world class golfer and an all-round breath of fresh air. He’s going to be a great addition to Europe’s Ryder Cup team this year.
Amazing Grace gets just deserts
I was delighted to see Branden Grace win the other PGA Tour event of the week, the Puerto Rico Open.
Grace played gusty conditions beautifully, finishing eagle-birdie and going bogey-free all Sunday.
The South African hadn’t won on the PGA Tour since 2016 but this victory has secured his card until 2023.
He’s a lovely golfer and a great guy so this is no more than he deserves.
If anyone can, it’s Tiger
Finally, we’re all thinking of Tiger Woods following his car crash last week.
A number of players at the WGC Workday Championship paid tribute by wearing his trademark red and black.
In Puerto Rico, all the maintenance staff donned the famous combination. It just shows how much the world loves Tiger.
Ben Hogan famously came back after his car and a bus met head-on. Hogan went on to win six more Majors.
We all hope to see Woods back on the course one day. If anyone can do it, Tiger can.
Sam Torrance OBE is a multiple Ryder Cup-winning golfer and media commentator. Follow him on Twitter @torrancesam.