2022 U.S. Open: Collin Morikawa hoping to ride ‘baby draw’ to third major championship

BROOKLINE, Mass. – It should be no surprise that Collin Morikawa is in the hunt to win his third major in just his 11th major start. What might be a surprise, however, is that he’s not entirely comfortable with how he’s gotten himself in this familiar position.

Morikawa explained that he spent last week in Las Vegas grinding away on his game trying to find the right shot. He finally settled on the shot he had, what he calls a “baby draw,” and on Friday at the U.S. Open, he moved into a tie for the lead with a second-round 66.

For a player who has forged a championship path hitting almost exclusively a fade, it was an impressive accomplishment and not one he has any interest in duplicating.

Full-field scores from U.S. Open

“No,” he said when asked if he will consider transitioning to the draw full-time. “It proves you can play this game with many shots. I remember the first time I played with Tiger, and he hit every shot that called for it. Pin is on the right; you hit a little cut. Pin is on the left; you hit a little draw.”

Morikawa, who began his round on the 10th hole, birdied Nos. 12, 14 and 17, and he added two more birdies on his second nine to move to 5 under and into a tie for the lead with Joel Dahmen.

At 25, Morikawa could move to within a Masters victory of the career Grand Slam following his ’21 victory at The Open and his ’20 triumph at the PGA Championship. To put that in context, Tiger Woods is the youngest to complete the career Grand Slam when he was 24.

“I never put an age on [the career Slam]. Never really thought about it. I just wanted to win golf tournaments, win majors, and compete against the best in the world, and luckily, I’ve been able to do that,” he said.