THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY NATIONWIDE

July 14, 2020

Collin Morikawa

Muirfield Village

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome Collin Morikawa, winner of last week's Workday Charity Open. What a great week you had last week right here at Muirfield Village, opening with a 65 and then a pair of 66s and a few of the ensuing rounds. Took a few extra holes to get the job done and it was quite the dramatic finish, but just a little bit of reflection looking back on the win, your second career win on the PGA TOUR.

COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, obviously to get that second win is a big relief, and to do it in that manner of being three behind, taking the lead, losing the lead and really having to fight. I had a lot of things that had to go my way the last three holes and I had to at least make a birdie or two coming in. From the moment I stepped on this course, I kind of fell in love. I thought a lot of tee shots fit my eye, everything, approach shots, so I knew it was going to be a really good course, whether I played well or not. It was all up to the prep, and thankfully I had my coach out here who I hadn't seen for a while before all this quarantine stuff, and we just kind of figured some things out, got everything sorted back, back to the basics, and we put in four really solid rounds together, and obviously I'm really happy with the result.

THE MODERATOR: When Justin makes that putt on the first hole of the playoff, that was quite dramatic, was really good. But then for you to do what you did right on top of that was incredible. Just your mindset once that putt went in when you realized that you have this just to keep things going.

COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, no, I mean, I've thought about it a lot, and people have asked me. I talked to my caddie today, J.J.; if we had fans I think everything would have been a little different. I would have had to almost wait another two minutes just to even hit that next putt because of the fans, just roars and everything and mumbles after making a 50-footer. Those are the type of putts that you pretty much make to win.

But once he made that, I knew my mind switched straight to, all right, it's make or we go home and we finish second place again. So I already knew what that putt was like somewhat from Justin's regulation putt. I knew it kind of trickled off to the right, and I just trusted my line, hit a good putt and finally caught that left edge and we had to go on and play another hole or another two.

THE MODERATOR: Unique situation from last week to this week, same spot. Did you have a chance to do anything yesterday with the course closed? Did you get out and do anything fun or take the day off?

COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yesterday was all just relaxing in bed, responding to a bunch of texts. It's amazing how much support I've had from just everywhere, growing up to all throughout college and people I've met so far. Just nothing golf-related. I guess it was golf-related but just relaxing in bed, kind of just stretching out. But it was good to get back on the course and kind of see it again this morning, and course looks fantastic, greens are getting a little faster, so it should be a good week.

Q. You just kind of addressed this, Collin: You guys are so used to hopping on a plane and going to the next tournament, and here you are teeing it up as the champion coming in and playing the same course. How do you deal with that? Is it weird? And how do you change your mindset, if at all?

COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, I think it's really weird. But it almost helps me in a sense because just say you won on Sunday and then you're on a plane Monday morning. I didn't have to get on a plane, I'm just staying in my hotel room relaxing and I can show up here, I know where everything is, I know what to do, I know the practice green, practice area, so everything is really familiar for me. So I think that helps me.

But I kind of -- today was a very casual practice round, but tomorrow will kind of be to get in our mindset of the tournament. I can't get too relaxed thinking, yeah, I played great last week, it's just going to move into this week. Yeah, there's a lot of positives and a lot of things I can take from last week, but I still have to by Thursday morning be ready; okay, last week does not matter at all. It's not like I start at 15-under, 19-under par. I've got to go out and start making some birdies again.

Q. A lot of guys take the next week off after winning just to mentally refresh; you don't have that option. How do you deal with that? What are you doing to sort of, I guess, rework things?

COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, yesterday was -- I was actually pretty tired throughout the entire day, even just responding to people and whatnot, but when I woke up today -- I got a really good sleep, woke up feeling great, got nine holes in this morning, felt great.

I think it's just kind of plan it out, manage it. That's something that guys that have won many times have figured out if they are playing the next week, how to kind of manage the next week to prep enough to where they're ready but not kill themselves by Thursday because 75 holes -- when I played 75 holes last week, that was a grind. Those last three really took a lot out of me.

I think it's just a lot of sleep, a lot of stretching. But for the most part my body already is fully recovered, and I feel ready for this week.

Q. Collin, first with the early finish on Sunday, how do you celebrate in quarantine times? You mentioned yesterday that you just kind of hung out in the hotel, but how did you actually celebrate when you can't really --

COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, it's tough, and I've got nowhere one. My girlfriend is not here, family is not here. But thankfully my caddie, J.J., is staying at one of his friends' parents' house for the week so I went over there. He cooked some nice steaks, we had a couple drinks and just kept it really casual with five of us. So it was really nice. It wasn't a crazy party like some guys might have, but it was nice knowing that I could come back, stay at my hotel again, and then we're back here for another week.

Q. What's your experience level like at Harding Park, and how do you think that'll set up for you?

COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, no, we've played there quite a bit. I'd say we've played there or I've played there maybe around 10, 15 times throughout my college career. Stanford hosted their event there one year. So I've seen it quite a bit. I haven't really played it ever too early in the morning. San Francisco's weather in the morning could be freezing, and we've been playing in 95-degree, very humid weather so far since quarantine, or since we've restarted. But that's a course that I feel familiar with. I can name any hole for you right now. I can tell you what spots you want to miss it.

But I've never seen a course like that go to a major championship kind of style, so I'm going to see obviously rough is going to be up, greens are going to be much faster, but at least off the tee I'm going to feel very comfortable at least for the holes that I know.

THE MODERATOR: Collin, we sure appreciate your time. Congratulations again on last week and hopefully it carries over for you nicely this week at the Memorial Tournament. Thanks for joining us.