Collin Morikawa said the pga tour leaderboard picture stayed encouraging at the RBC Heritage on Sunday, even as he continued managing a back injury that left him “very scared” to tee it up. The seven-time PGA TOUR winner finished his week at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, after opening with caution and closing with a 4-under 67. His schedule remains uncertain, and he said he will take things week by week.
Morikawa stays in the mix despite fear and caution
Morikawa arrived at the RBC Heritage still dealing with the lingering effects of a back injury first suffered at THE PLAYERS Championship about a month earlier. He said he was swinging at about 50 percent and felt limited in the shots he could play, but he was not in pain. What bothered him most was the fear of making the injury worse on the golf course, something he said he had never experienced before.
That fear did not keep him from producing. After starting the day eight shots off the lead, Morikawa shot 4-under 67 in the final round and finished at 13-under. He was tied for sixth when he walked off the course, six shots behind leader Matt Fitzpatrick. It was a steady follow-up to his T7 finish at the Masters the week before.
What Morikawa said after the round
“I’m happy these last two weeks are done, ” Morikawa said after finishing. “It’s been a grind. The two weeks of golf have felt like a full year of golf, just grinding through it, playing. ” He added that the stretch taught him a lot about himself mentally, saying he had stayed strong even without full health.
He also said the week required constant adjustment. He described tender practice swings, careful movement in bunkers, and moments when the speed of his swing seemed to catch up to him. “There’s just no trust, and that’s the hardest thing, ” he said. “I’m trying to last throughout the entire week. ”
Top-10 form and the week ahead
If his finish holds, it would be Morikawa’s fifth straight top-10 result, excluding his withdrawal after one hole at THE PLAYERS Championship. He also said the Masters was “one of the best tournaments I could have asked for, ” a sign that he can still contend while protecting his back.
Morikawa and his wife, Katherine, announced that they are expecting their first child later this spring. He said he will sit out the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and use time at home to test his swing in a more comfortable setting. Beyond that, the schedule remains unclear as the season moves into back-to-back Signature Events in Miami and Charlotte, North Carolina, followed by the PGA Championship, where he won his first major in 2020.
What’s next for Morikawa
“Unknown, ” Morikawa said when asked what comes next. “Going to see how the body goes. ” He said the baby due later this spring could also affect his plans, and he will continue to assess things one week at a time. For now, the pga tour leaderboard shows another strong result, but the bigger story is whether Morikawa can keep building while managing the uncertainty around his body and his calendar.
