(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Collin Morikawa Surges Into Contention at FedEx St. Jude Championship After Recent Struggles
MEMPHIS – Collin Morikawa’s confidence never disappeared, even during one of the toughest stretches of his career. That self-belief is paying off as he finds himself in the hunt at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Following an opening-round 66, Morikawa fired a 65 on Friday to move into second place. Known as one of the PGA TOUR’s best ball strikers, he ranked among the top five in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and Approach-the-Green. His round featured a spectacular hole-out eagle from 127 yards on the par-4 ninth and three birdies, with just one bogey through 36 holes.
“The self-belief when I tee it up is always there,” Morikawa said. “It’s just a hard game – every day you don’t know what to expect.”
Despite some stiffness in his second round, Morikawa embraced a controlled style of play, hitting the smooth left-to-right shots that have defined his career.
The performance comes just weeks after a rough patch. Morikawa was 11-over-par combined at the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open Championship, marking his first consecutive missed cuts in three years. At The Open, his 75-74 weekend was his highest two-round total relative to par in consecutive events.
In July, he addressed the slump on Instagram, posting photos from Royal Portrush with the caption:
“Sometimes you feel like you’re out there alone… Just a little bump in the road the past couple months. Time to reset these 2 weeks off and get the mind/body where it needs to be. Let’s make a big push in the playoffs.”
That push is now underway. Ranked 19th in the FedExCup standings, Morikawa needs a strong two weeks to secure his spot at East Lake for the TOUR Championship for the sixth straight season — and perhaps claim his first victory in nearly two years.
