Workday Charity Open 2020: Collin Morikawa Tops Justin Thomas in Playoff for Win
Joseph Zucker@@JosephZucker
Featured ColumnistJuly 12, 2020
Collin Morikawa defeated Justin Thomas on the third playoff hole in the Workday Charity Open on Sunday at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.
Morikawa and Thomas were deadlocked at 19 under through four rounds of the event. They both birdied and parred No. 18 to open the playoff. A par on No. 10 was enough for Morikawa to secure the title.
Thomas set the bar on the first playoff by sinking a 50-foot birdie putt. Morikawa matched him by connecting with a difficult downhill putt from 24 feet out.
Thomas' luck took a turned for the worse two holes later. His drive on the third playoff hole sailed right of the fairway and landed behind a tree.
That allowed Morikawa to take a more conservative approach to the hole since simply saving par would've required a tremendous effort from Thomas. Morikawa landed on the green in two with an opportunity for a birdie. Ultimately, a two-putt secured the title.
Even leaving aside his errant drive, Thomas will rue failing to seal the deal Sunday.
Through 54 holes, he sat atop the leaderboard with a two-shot advantage on Viktor Hovland. With three holes to play, he had gained a three-shot edge with a birdie on No. 14 and an eagle on No. 15.
However, Thomas closed with a bogeys on No. 16 and No. 18. His par putt on the 18th green rolled just to the right of the cup.
Morikawa was the more consistent golfer on the day. His six-under 66 was tied for the round's third-lowest score, and he had one bogey to four for Thomas. And when the 23-year-old needed to be at his best down the stretch, he didn't miss a beat.
ESPN Stats & Info noted he's the second-youngest golfer to earn a PGA Tour victory at Muirfield Village. Hideki Matsuyama was 22 when he won the 2014 Memorial Tournament.
The Tour will stick around in Dublin for the upcoming week. The Memorial tees off Thursday at Muirfield Village. Many eyes will be on Tiger Woods after he announced he intends to compete in this year's Memorial, his first Tour event since February.