Major champ Collin Morikawa not only see’s this week’s abrdn Scottish Open as the ideal warm-up for his maiden Open Championship appearance but a chance to be grouped with former Walker Cup rival, Robert MacIntyre.
Morikawa is among a very strong contingent of 14 Americans, and that’s three more than the present number of Scots teeing-up in the £stg 5.75m Rolex Series event on the Renaissance course in East Lothian.
The presence of reigning U.S. Open champ and World No. 1 Joh Rahm, plus Justin Thomas at No. 3, Morikawa at 4 and Xander Schauffele as No. 5 has the Scottish Open boasting all but one of the world’s present top-5.
Add Tyrrell Hatton at No. 10 and Rory McIlroy at World No. 11, and that’s six of the world’s top-11 competing in Scotland.
For Morikawa it is surprisingly his first visit to the UK and as such also his maiden Open Championship next week at Sandwich.
Collin Morikawa teeing-up in Scotland as the reigning WGC – Concessions champion
He said: “Playing the Scottish Open is going to be a huge warm-up for me heading into the Open Championship, as I’ve never played an Open Championship.
“I’ve been over playing golf in Ireland and France just once but not to Scotland or England, so I really haven’t played links golf.
“The only links golf I have really seen would have been as a junior when you might get a linksy-style course, so that’s why I also think the Scottish Open is going to be huge for my prep.
“Whether or not it plays similar or not but just to be over in the UK and to get adjusted to everything.
“So, I really look forward to it and I think the Scottish Open is going to be awesome. It’s going to be a great field.
“And my appearance in the Scottish is not just to learn about how to play over there as I want to go out and win, and I will be doing my best to be prepped for both events”.
Morikawa also will tee-up in the Home of Golf nation as a European Tour member having joined last year and finishing fifth on the Race to Dubai thanks to his stunning PGA Championship win.
He’s currently ranked third on the 2021 ‘Race’ and thanks, in part, to his WGC Concessions victory earlier this year, and more recently a share of fourth behind Rahm in the U.S. Open.
And here’s betting Morikawa will find himself grouped for the opening two days with top-ranked Scot Robert MacIntyre in what would be a great grouping for the opening two rounds.
The pair of 24-year-olds were rivals at the 2017 Walker Cup in Los Angeles and with Morikawa the first on either the US or GB & I side to win a major championship.
Morikawa was unbeaten in his four matches and helping steer the US to thumping 19-7 success.
He said: “I’ve been really impressed by what Bob is doing and whenever you are paired, and not just the guys on my USA team but those guys on the GB & I team back then, you are always paying attention to what they are doing.
“You want them to all succeed as we are all trying to get out onto the PGA Tour to win tournaments, and to become number one in the world.
“But what Bob has been doing in that short amount of time since the Walker Cup has been awesome, and it’s good also to see him out competing in the Majors, the WGCs and everything.
“He’s a young guy I can connect with. We have memories though I have better memories (smiling broadly) for my US team than theirs but it’s always going to be with us and be remembered from being on the 2017 Walker Cup teams”.
