Collin Morikawa Bio
Collin Morikawa is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. Born on February 6, 1997, in Los Angeles, California, he has emerged as one of the most consistent players of his generation, with multiple major championships and a Ryder Cup victory already on his resume. Known for his calm demeanor and precise iron play, Morikawa has collected six PGA Tour wins and four European Tour wins in just over five seasons as a professional. Off the course, he is of Chinese-Japanese descent and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, before turning pro in 2019. He currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, with his wife, Katherine Zhu.
Early Life and Background
Collin Morikawa was born in Los Angeles, California, to Debbie and Blaine Morikawa, and grew up in the nearby community of La Cañada Flintridge. Of Chinese-Japanese heritage, he was introduced to golf at a young age and quickly developed a reputation as a standout junior player. He attended La Cañada High School, where he balanced a strong academic record with an increasingly competitive amateur golf schedule. His early years in Southern California gave him access to a year-round playing climate, which helped sharpen the swing that would later become his signature on tour.
Morikawa’s amateur résumé is among the most decorated in recent college golf history. He went on to play collegiate golf at the University of California, Berkeley, from 2015 to 2019, winning five times and capturing the 2019 Pac-12 Conference Championship. He also won the Western Junior, the Trans-Mississippi Amateur, the Sunnehanna Amateur, and the Northeast Amateur, and he helped the United States win the 2017 Arnold Palmer Cup and Walker Cup. In May 2018, he spent three weeks as the top-ranked golfer in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, cementing his status as the top amateur in the world before his senior year.
Path to Professional Golf
After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2019 with a degree in business administration, Morikawa made the decision to turn professional rather than pursue a lengthy amateur circuit. He made his PGA Tour debut at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, where he tied for 14th place, and quickly followed it with a tie for second at the 3M Open and a tie for fourth at the John Deere Classic. Those finishes locked up PGA Tour membership for the 2019–20 season, and just two weeks later he won the Barracuda Championship, beating Troy Merritt by three points to claim his first professional victory.
The rapid ascent did not slow down. In 2020, Morikawa won the Workday Charity Open in a playoff over Justin Thomas and then captured the PGA Championship at Harding Park, becoming the third-youngest winner of that major at age 23. The victory came in only his second major start, immediately placing him among the most talked-about young players in the game.
Collin Morikawa Career
Early Career (2019)
Collin Morikawa’s rookie season on the PGA Tour began with a string of consistent finishes that quietly announced his arrival. After securing his tour card mid-season, he won the Barracuda Championship in only his third start as a member, a victory that highlighted his comfort in stableford scoring formats and his aggressive iron play. By the end of 2019, he had already shown the kind of composure around the greens that would define his early professional career.
PGA Tour Breakthrough (2020–2021)
The 2020 season marked Morikawa’s true breakthrough. He won the Workday Charity Open in July, rallying from three shots down with three holes to play and burying a 25-foot birdie putt in a playoff against Justin Thomas. Two weeks later, he added a major title at the 2020 PGA Championship, closing with a 64 that tied the lowest final round by a PGA Champion. That run helped him stretch his consecutive made-cuts streak to 22 cuts to begin his professional career, the second-longest streak to start a career behind Tiger Woods.
Morikawa carried that momentum into 2021. In February, he won the WGC-Workday Championship at The Concession Golf Club by three strokes over Billy Horschel, Viktor Hovland, and Brooks Koepka. In July, he won The Open Championship at Royal St George’s, becoming the first player since Bobby Jones in 1926 to win two majors in eight or fewer starts and the first to win two different majors in his debut appearance. He later added the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, becoming the first American to win the Race to Dubai.
European Tour Era (2021–Present)
Morikawa’s victory at the 2021 DP World Tour Championship not only capped a remarkable year but also signaled his growing presence on the European Tour. By collecting four European Tour wins in total, he joined a small group of American players with multiple titles on that circuit. His Race to Dubai title underscored his ability to compete and win on both sides of the Atlantic, and he has continued to schedule events in Europe alongside his PGA Tour commitments.
Recent Form (2022–2023)
The years following his major wins have tested Morikawa’s resolve. He tied for second at the 2022 Genesis Invitational and represented the United States at the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, going 3–0–1 in the American victory. In 2023, he held a six-shot lead after 54 holes at the Sentry Tournament of Champions before three consecutive bogeys cost him the title in a finish tied for the PGA Tour record for largest 54-hole lead squandered. He answered that disappointment in October 2023, winning the Zozo Championship to end a 27-month winless drought and remind the golf world of his closing capabilities.
Driving Style and Strengths
Collin Morikawa is widely regarded as one of the purest ball strikers in the modern game. His iron play, particularly his ability to control trajectory and spin, sets him apart from most of his peers, and his calm, methodical approach on the greens has translated into consistent results in major championships. He tends to favor aggressive lines off the tee paired with conservative approaches into firm greens, and his short-game touch around bentgrass surfaces has been a quiet strength throughout his career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Collin Morikawa’s signature moments are his back-to-back major wins at the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open Championship, both secured in debut appearances. His playoff win over Justin Thomas at the 2020 Workday Charity Open, his perfect 3–0–1 performance at the 2021 Ryder Cup, and his historic Race to Dubai title all stand out as defining chapters of his young career. He also represented the United States at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, finishing tied for third.
Collin Morikawa Career Wins
Collin Morikawa has accumulated six PGA Tour victories and four European Tour wins since turning professional in 2019. His wins include two major championships, a World Golf Championships event, and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, placing him among the most decorated players of his age group.
PGA Tour Highlights
Morikawa’s first PGA Tour victory came at the 2019 Barracuda Championship, and he added the 2020 Workday Charity Open and 2020 PGA Championship later that summer. He won the 2021 WGC-Workday Championship and the 2021 Open Championship, then ended a long winless drought at the 2023 Zozo Championship, his most recent PGA Tour title. Several of his wins came in playoffs, and his major victories both came on his first attempt at each event.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the PGA Tour, Morikawa has been a steady presence on the DP World Tour, where his four victories include the 2021 DP World Tour Championship and the historic Race to Dubai crown. He has also represented the United States in the Ryder Cup and the Olympic Games, contributing key points for the American side at Whistling Straits in 2021 and a tie for third in Tokyo.
Collin Morikawa Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Collin Morikawa was raised by his parents, Debbie and Blaine Morikawa, in the Los Angeles area. Of Chinese-Japanese descent, he credits his family for instilling the discipline and work ethic that have fueled his early professional success. While his parents are not public figures in golf, their support throughout his amateur development played a central role in his rise through the junior and collegiate ranks.
Personal Life
Collin Morikawa married Katherine Zhu, his long-time girlfriend, on November 26, 2022, after becoming engaged in December 2021. The couple resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, where Morikawa is based during the PGA Tour season. He continues to be closely connected to his family and often credits them as a stabilizing influence on his career.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into 2025, Collin Morikawa remains one of the most consistent performers on the PGA Tour, still in pursuit of his third major championship and additional titles to add to his six Tour wins. After ending his winless drought at the 2023 Zozo Championship, he entered the new season with renewed momentum and a renewed focus on contending in the biggest events. With his iron play still among the most reliable in the field, expectations are high for another deep run in the majors and a strong presence on the leaderboard at the season’s marquee invitationals.
Morikawa’s 2025 schedule is expected to once again blend PGA Tour events with select DP World Tour stops, reflecting his status as a global player. His performance in the opening months of the season will be closely watched as he looks to climb back into the top tier of the Official World Golf Ranking and position himself for another Ryder Cup appearance. Consistency, rather than raw streak-making, is likely to define his approach this season.
With a stable support system at home in Las Vegas and a clear technical foundation, Collin Morikawa enters 2025 as a perennial favorite in any event he enters. Should he capture another major, he would further cement his legacy as one of the defining players of his generation.