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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

Playing only his second PGA Tour event of the season, it seems like Collin Morikawa has already given up on the fairway. The 2-time major winner has had a tough time on the golf course for the last few years. He has endured a winless streak since October 2023. And a clip from TPC Scottsdale shows just why he’s having such a horrid time with his clubs.

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Tom & Marty’s shared a video of the 29-year-old attempting a wedge 74 feet from the par-3 12th hole. The caption read, “Dear god. It got worse.”

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The reason the caption was that bad was because of Morikawa’s poor chip on the fairway. He attempted to give the ball enough flight to help it find the short grass with a simple stroke. Instead, he caught the thin of the ball and only managed to drag it along for five feet instead. Perplexed by what just happened, Morikawa was seen removing his hat and scratching his head while planning his next move.

He ended up scoring a double bogey on the par-3 hole. That was far worse than where he was planning to land at the end of the hole. The poor display pushed his score down from even par to 2-over on the leaderboard. He saved face and ended the first round with a 1-under par. However, Morikawa is still sitting in the danger zone, tied at 76th.

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The six-time PGA Tour champion’s poor shot caught the attention of a lot of fans. And they were quite harsh in their assessment.

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Collin Morikawa faces the wrath of the netizens after the outrageous wedge

Collin Morikawa let the pressure get to him and paid a heavy price for it. He was left embarrassed in front of thousands of PGA Tour fans as everyone witnessed the huge error. Notably, some netizens believe it was due to the mental stress Morikawa felt at the moment.

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One of the fans wrote, “I know the yips when I see it,” suggesting that he froze just before making contact with his wedge. That is what led to the miscued chip.

Another suggested, “As someone that is fighting the yips….i wouldn’t wish this on my worse anymore. not only do you have no control of your body, your body actually does the exact opposite of what you want it to do.”

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They understand that getting the yips during an activity is the worst situation you can be in. Speaking of facing the issue during an event, even Tiger Woods‘ niece, Cheyenne, confessed how the yips forced her into retirement.

However, there is another big problem that Morikawa faces. And another fan pointed it out by saying, “Guy can’t play in front of crowd,” and another said, “He looks miserable on the course.”

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The 29-year-old won both his majors during the COVID-19 lockdown. Back then, spectators weren’t allowed to enter the golf course to watch events. While he has come close to winning after that as well, Morikawa hasn’t been able to replicate his success from the time when fans weren’t around to watch him win.

Speaking about the challenges of TPC Scottsdale, someone commented, “I’m not really trying to stick up for Morikawa, but the best golfer in the world did essentially the same thing at WM today.”

Morikawa may have been left perplexed after missing his wedge. But Scottie Scheffler threw a huge temper tantrum after his chip shot didn’t produce the desired result. Yet, the fans were much more merciful to the World No. 1 than they were to his fellow Ryder Cup teammate.

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Comparing their own Sunday game to Morikawa, someone wrote, “If this was the aim of the game I would b on tour at the moment.”

They seem to suggest that if the 2-time major winner can produce such chip shots, then they deserve to compete in the best golf Tour in the world. After what he went through, Morikawa might not mind avoiding the spotlight on Friday himself.

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Molin Sheth

2,132 Articles

Molin Sheth is a senior Golf writer at EssentiallySports and a key member of the ES Golf Trends Desk. He brings strong editorial judgment and a data-driven approach to uncovering the game’s overlooked angles, delivering insightful play-by-play reporting across golf’s four major championships. As part of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, an in-house initiative that mentors and develops writers through expert guidance and rigorous training, Molin works closely with industry-leading mentors to bring clarity and depth to a sport where precision matters and every shot tells a story. Molin comes from a diverse professional background that enriches his coverage. With extensive experience in digital marketing, content management, and quality assurance, he excels at optimizing processes and enhancing user experiences, skills that translate into delivering well-researched, engaging content efficiently. His roles in customer support, technical troubleshooting, and cross-functional collaboration have honed his problem-solving abilities and attention to detail. This comprehensive skill set allows Molin to approach golf reporting with a unique blend of creativity, analytical rigor, and operational excellence, ensuring his work resonates with both casual fans and serious golf enthusiasts.

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