Two-time Major winner Collin Morikawa seeks balance in life even as he eyes more success in golf
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Renowned chef Tetsuya Wakuda (left) and PGA Tour player Collin Morikawa during a culinary contest at Wakuda Singapore restaurant on Oct 17.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Follow topic:
- Collin Morikawa participated in a culinary contest in Singapore, embracing new experiences beyond golf to create memories and see the world.
- The American reflects on his rookie years, aiming to recapture the excitement and openness he felt then to avoid the repetitiveness of pro golf.
- Despite early success and high expectations, Morikawa focuses on managing both highs and lows, striving for a Major grand slam.
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SINGAPORE – All eyes were on Collin Morikawa, watching the American golfer at work, his focus unwavering and his hands steady.
But the greens of the course were nowhere in sight, replaced instead by a sleek countertop at Wakuda Singapore, a Japanese restaurant in Marina Bay Sands (MBS).
It was still a test of precision as the two-time Major champion traded his golf clubs for chopsticks and spoons on Oct 17, carefully assembling a chirashi bowl in a contest against radio DJ Glenn Ong and Singaporean entrepreneur and social media personality Christabel Chua.
All three were declared “winners” by chef Tetsuya Wakuda in this event, which is part of the Life Beyond Course culinary experience by MBS.
Though in unfamiliar territory, world No. 10 Morikawa welcomed the challenge, eager to embrace new experiences outside of golf.
PGA Tour player Collin Morikawa assembling a chirashi bowl at Wakuda Singapore restaurant as part of a culinary contest on Oct 17.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
In an interview with The Straits Times, the Sands Champion ambassador said: “It’s (golf) always on my mind. It’s something that you have to balance back and forth because there’s so much more to life than just playing golf.
“To experience the world, go out and travel, walk around, that’s part of making memories. You’re not going to be making memories thinking about golf in the hotel room, but you’re going to be making memories if you got out for 30 minutes, go for a walk and experience what the city’s like.”
In this aspect, the 28-year-old, who turned professional in 2019, feels he has much to learn from his early days as a golfer.
He said: “As a rookie, I was very wide-eyed, open, just taking everything in...
“I need to do that a little bit more, tap into my younger self and my rookie years where everything was so new, it was always so exciting.
“I just have to find ways to make it exciting when I’m out on these weeks because it becomes very repetitive.”
Morikawa, who has a Japanese father and Chinese mother, burst onto the scene as a rookie, claiming the 2019 Barracuda Championship in just his sixth start as a professional.
He then won the 2020 PGA Championship victory at the British Open
On how his early success shaped his career, he said: “It gave me a lot of confidence going forward and whether the success follows or not, confidence is still there.
“At the lowest of low times, you can always go back and say, ‘No, I can accomplish this and I can do this’.”
But his early success also set high expectations that he has yet to meet.
His sixth and last win on the PGA Tour came at the 2023 Zozo Championship in Japan, although he has finished runner-up on four occasions in the past two seasons.
Still, completing a Major grand slam is very much on Morikawa’s mind. His best finish at the Masters was when he came in tied-third in 2024, while he finished joint-fourth at the 2021 US Open.
Success early in his professional career has been a double-edged sword for world No. 10 Morikawa.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Morikawa said: “It also poses the challenge of how do I keep up with those standards and goals that I want to achieve, which are hard.
“Life is not a flat line and a continuous upward trajectory, there’s a lot of ups and downs. It’s just being able to manage not only the downs but also the highs and realise what you’re working for.”
He has also had to deal with contentious interactions with the media in 2025, with one such moment coming at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.
There, Morikawa seemed on course to break his title drought, but surrendered a three-stroke lead
He then raised eyebrows by skipping his media obligations and his comments addressing the situation in a press conference ahead of The Players Championship did not sit well with some in the fraternity.
When asked how he balances expressing himself genuinely with the reactions he may get, Morikawa said: “It’s hard because in the social light that we live in, it’s hard to sometimes speak your mind.
“There’s a lot of people who will disagree and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, but people always have to be open to hearing people out and being able to debate and talk through it because that’s the only way people grow, right?”
Amid the scrutiny, the spotlight has also given him the chance to connect with others.
He said: “With social media, it’s been tremendous to be able to reach a bunch of people, see fans, have people expressing their gratitude for something you’ve done and put a smile on their face.
“It’s exciting when you see a kid at a golf tournament and you’re like, ‘Man, they’re here to watch you’ and it’s crazy to think back to when you were a kid.”
