Collin Morikawa Wins The Open

Collin Morikawa won The 149th Open by two shots over Jordan Spieth after a bogey-free 4-under 66 on Sunday at Royal St. Georges.

“You have to embrace it,” Morikawa said. “You have to be excited about these opportunities, and that’s how I looked at it today,especially coming down the stretch, was I’m excited.To have the Claret Jug right here in my possession for a year, I believe, I’m excited to have it.”

This the 24-year old American’s second major championship, following last year’s triumph in the PGA Championship at Harding Park.

“I think when you make history — and I’m 24 years old — it’s hard to grasp, and it’s hard to really take it in,” Morikawa said. “A quick little side note, when Phil won the PGA — I think he’s 50 years old, right — I didn’t look at him as this old guy winning. I looked at him as competition that could still play really well. If he put everything together, and he did,he could play well and win.At 24 years old, it’s so hard to look back at the two short years that I have been a pro and see what I’ve done because I want more. I enjoy these moments and I love it, and I want to teach myself to embrace it a little more.”

Morikawa began Sunday one shot behind Louis Oosthuizen, but tied the overnight leader on the 4th hole and a string of three consecutive birdies put him on top making the turn and closes things out with clutch par saves on Nos. 10 and 15.

Morikawa earned $2.07 million and 600 FedEx Cup points for the victory.

Three-time major champion Spieth had his best major championship finish since winning The Open in 2017, but in the end it was his bogey-bogey finish on Saturday that prevented him from the opportunity to hoist his second Claret Jug.

“The finish yesterday, was about as upset as I’ve taken a finish of a round to the house,” Spieth said. “I walked in and wanted to — I said, Is there something that I can break? I knew that was so important because I would have been in the final group. Anyway, had to regroup 18 hours later and then just had a lot in between clubs, and you have to be so precise here. I’m proud of going 6-under in the last 12 in this golf tournament and putting some pressure on Collin.”

U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm finished in a tie for third with Oosthuizen, at 11-under, four shots behind Morikawa.

Four-time major champion Brooks Koepka finished in a tie for sixth after a final round 65 put him at 8-under.

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson finished in a tie for eighth at 7-under.

Next up on the PGA TOUR is the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities followed by the Olympic Men’s Golf Competition at Kasumigaseki Country Club, Saitama, JPN.

Next year’s edition of The Open Championship will be its 150th and will be contested at the Old Course, St. Andrews.