Collin Morikawa posts low spherical of Tour Championship; nearer to chasing Scottie Scheffler down

ATLANTA — When Collin Morikawa heard his establish called on the predominant tee on Friday, he faced a seven-shot deficit to World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who blistered the newly restored East Lake the day sooner than.

Morikawa knew he needed to play aggressively to present himself a likelihood, as Scheffler would absolute self perception continue to waltz spherical the property. He’s too shapely of a participant to not. However the California kid also knew he needed to stick with his sport knowing while not specializing in Scheffler’s big lead.

Mission performed.

Morikawa fired a masterful 8-beneath 63, the lowest spherical of the week to this level at the Tour Championship. He looked up to flee of his sport, particularly off the tee, even supposing Scheffler bombed it system previous him more most frequently than not. Delight in the deficit he faced, the variation in driving distance between Friday’s final pairing failed to section Morikawa both.

“He’s one of these shapely participant that you simply know he’s going to retain going low and making birdies,” Morikawa stated of his playing accomplice.

Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Photos

“I noticed that firsthand. I’ve considered it for years. For me, it’s correct must retain my foot on the gasoline and stick with my sport knowing.”

Morikawa made nine birdies on Friday, two bigger than any other participant. However he did indulge in a bogey on the par-3 11th, a hole by which the tour moved the tees up because of the firmness of the greens. It performed most efficient 174 yards, a short-iron for many gamers, but Morikawa airmailed the inexperienced and failed to upward thrust up and down.

“Factual not a gargantuan bogey,” Morikawa stated.

“Especially after I felt luminous shapely via the spherical.”

He had every cause to plot so.

Morikawa carded a 4-beneath 31 on the front nine, highlighted by a spectacular system on the par-4 seventh. After Scheffler bombed it 43 yards previous him, Morikawa knocked his 2nd shot to a pair feet, 5 inches, and made his birdie try. That became his 2nd of three straight par-breakers.

More birdies followed on the attend nine after his misstep at 11.

On the par-4 13th, Morikawa chipped in for birdie while Scheffler failed to upward thrust up and down from a fried egg lie within the sand. A two-shot swing all straight away made issues a minute of more attention-grabbing as Scheffler’s lead went from seven to 5.

It then dwindled to four on the next hole, the par-5 14th. Morikawa made birdie, but Scheffler failed to convert his opportunity. He settled for a par, as Morikawa walked to the 15th tee at 15-beneath.

Then, a lightning lengthen suspended play for 90 minutes.

“In actual fact, the last three holes coming out, most frequently after a demolish treasure that, you don’t lose rhythm, but you correct lose vogue of that energy,” Morikawa stated.

No topic that, Morikawa maintained his focal level, even supposing Scheffler came out and fired upright at the flagstick on the par-4 16th. His birdie there prolonged his lead attend to 5. However Morikawa knew he needed to press on. He closed with a pair of birdies on 17 and 18 to lower the deficit attend to four—Scheffler also birdied the par-5 18th.

“Factual caught to my sport knowing,” Morikawa emphasized.

“In actual fact, I correct kept hitting my shots and made a bunch of putts as we speak time, which became good.”

That he did.

And now, Morikawa has an exterior likelihood of successful the FedEx Cup. He can contain to peaceable face a gargantuan deficit at this juncture, but he almost lower it in half on Friday, an excellent accomplishment brooding in regards to the sizable project at hand. If he can continue to stick with his sport knowing and hole some putts, Morikawa could perchance perchance well also high-tail Scheffler down in the end.

Jack Milko is a golf staff author for SB Nation’s Playing Thru. Be sure that to ascertain out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You’ll want to perchance notice him on Twitter @jack_milko as successfully.