PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 16, 2024

Collin Morikawa

Valhalla Golf Club

Flash Quotes

THE MODERATOR: Collin Morikawa is with us at the 106th PGA Championship.

Collin, a 5-under 66 for you today. How do you feel about your first round?

COLLIN MORIKAWA: It's good. A lot of low scores. Obviously I was watching coverage this morning, and you want to get off to a good start, especially how everyone is playing, and I was 2-over through five, I believe. And just knew that, you know, everything has felt good leading up. Just kind of continue to give yourself chances, was able to hit a few close, make some putts and just kind of use that throughout the rest of the day.

Q. When you look at the scorecard, is looks like something flips between 5 and 6, but is that the kind of thing that happens?

COLLIN MORIKAWA: No. I mean, you know, the swing on 6 was probably the best swing all day. I did exactly what I wanted. I was a little bit aggressive, even though me and J.J. were talking about aiming a bit more right. It just felt like a perfect number and sometimes you need those shots to kind of work out and just, you know, flip a switch.

Didn't flip the switch exactly. Like I still didn't hit as great of iron shots coming in as I wanted but I was able to take advantage when I did, and the putter felt great. When the putter feels good, if you just give yourself chances from 20 feet, hopefully a few drop.

Q. When you watch coverage in the morning of an afternoon round, what can you learn?

COLLIN MORIKAWA: I mean, you can just see kind of how receptive things are. You like to, for me I like to play things out in my head of, okay, this might be better, do this, do that. But golfers, coming out on a Thursday, Thursday afternoon, you just adapt. You don't know what the wind is going to be.

A lot of the tee shots today, I hit a bunch of 3-woods that I really didn't hit through the practice rounds just because tournament time, tournament speed, tees might be up five, six yards. Changes a lot of things.

So it's nice to watch in the morning and just kind of get a feel for how things are going and obviously knowing that, you know, you needed to post something low if you're going to stay on pace.

Q. I remember you keep being very secretive about the swing thought you had at Augusta. Is that the swing thought you're currently kind of still working with?

COLLIN MORIKAWA: No, no, different swing thought.

Q. You never made clear what you were working with at Augusta on the swing thought.

COLLIN MORIKAWA: No. I did not make that clear. I probably won't.

Q. 7-under on 13 holes, is that the feeling that could be your game here this week?

COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, it's nice to roll off some birdies out here. Obviously other guys are making a lot of birdies but knowing that you're able to just kind of get on a roll. I haven't had those little stretches of like birdie, birdie, birdie, in a long time. So just to see that, it's great for my mental side heading into the rest of the week just knowing that I can piece together a nice little bunch of golf.

Frankly it could have been better and just hit a bad iron shot or wedge shot on 15. You know, I think just get some good rest, get some good food, tidy things up tomorrow morning and go out and see what plays.

Q. And the last thing, when you go on the first tee and you see -- you have somebody like Xander shooting 9-under in the morning, is that another pressure?

COLLIN MORIKAWA: No, it's not a lot of pressure. But it's knowing that you want to get off to a good start, and the way I started was not how I wanted, especially -- if the lead were 2-under, yeah, being 2-over through five, kind of inch your way back. But knowing that a lot of guys are making birdies, it's okay, there are a lot of birdie opportunities, but this course is still on the long side for me so I still have to hit some good shots and quality shots, and hopefully we were able to do that.