The 24-year-old American, who graduated from college two years ago and won the PGA Championship last year, has already won two titles in a total of eight major starts – a magnificent start to his professional career.
Morikawa finished a total of -15 after four rounds at Royal St George’s, and won two strokes ahead of compatriot Jordan Spieth.
– This is without a doubt one of the best moments of my life, Morikawa said in the speech of thanks after receiving and lifting the victory dent “The Claret Jug”.
– Collin Morikawa vann British Open.
Photo: Peter Morrison / AP
He thanked the spectators which has given The Open a frame and a sense of some normality, a year after last year’s championship was canceled due to the corona pandemic.
– To stand here and be called “champion golfer of the year” gives me goosebumps, he said.
– You have been fantastic. I look forward to coming here every year and playing the British Open and that you cheer on us.
The last round of a weather-friendly The Open was played in scorching sunshine and almost non-existent wind, with Oosthuizen one stroke ahead of Morikawa on one tee. At first, it also looked like it could be a pure duel for the victory between the two players in the leader ball. They came to the seventh hole in a split lead, but then it became clear advantage Morikawa.
Oosthuizen slog andraslaget down into a green bunker and from there the South African managed to hit the ball over the green – and down into another bunker. He was forced to leave the lightest hole of the course with a bogey, and when Morikawa simultaneously made a birdie both there and on the eighth and ninth suddenly parted four strokes.
The six-time major runner-up Oosthuizen, including in the PGA Championship and US Open earlier this year, was unrecognizable and it took until eleven before he made his first birdie. The Open 2010 is still the only major title for the 38-year-old, who had to settle for a shared third place at -11.
It was Jordan Spieth who emerged as the main threat to Collin Morikawa. Spieth started the round weakly, but got real speed after an eagle on the seventh which was followed up with birdies on holes 9, 10, 13 and 14. The Open winner from 2017 came close, but never in the race.
Morikawa, the world’s foremost iron players at the moment, was namely the security itself. And the few times the world four got into a bit of trouble, he managed to save it on the greens – he did not make a single bogey in the whole day.
When he got to the 18th hole he could afford to make a bogey and still win, but it became a safe par for 66 strokes (four under par) on the round.
Pre-favorite Jon Rahm, if possible, played even more impressively than Morikawa up to the greens, but the putt disappointed him for a long time. When it finally came loose with four straight birdies for the Spaniard, it was too late, but it was enough for -11 and shared third place with Oosthuizen. Rahm thus regains the world number one position from Dustin Johnson, who finished split eight, after just one week.
There were no Swedish efforts to tell about during The Open Sunday, something that has not happened since 1990. All four blue-yellow jumps missed the qualifying limit on the classic links course in the south-east of England.
Norway’s new world star Viktor Hovland shared twelfth place in his first The Open. Next year, the 150th edition of the competition will be decided, at the classic St Andrews.
Read more:
Wanted to crack the clubs after the Swedish fiasco
Oosthuizen leads the weekend in The Open
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