Collin Morikawa’s first win since 2023 came with tears, a baby announcement, and a surprise thank you. The 22-under victory at Pebble Beach showcased brilliant ball-striking, but his clutch putting? Well, that was wisdom shared by an unexpected mentor, Tiger Woods himself.

“I talked to Max, I talked to Kiz, I talked to Tiger during TGL matches,” Morikawa said after the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am wrapped up. “That’s a lot of putting help, but just because everyone cares. It’s a weird ecosystem in our world because we’re all essentially individuals trying to beat each other out, but for the most part of my even years being out here, everyone’s been able to lend a helping hand when you do ask.”

In TGL’s 2025 inaugural season, Woods competed for Jupiter Links Golf Club while Morikawa represented LA Golf Club. Different teams, but the same facility allowed for invaluable conversations. And Woods’ input on the greens complemented the technical work Morikawa and his team had been grinding through.

That mentorship paid off spectacularly at Pebble Beach.

On Saturday, Morikawa delivered the best ball-striking round of his career, a 62 that included hitting all 18 greens. He gained 6.46 strokes on approach, nearly three strokes better than anyone else.

“Ball was going where I wanted, putts were dropping when I needed them,” he explained after his round.

Sunday tested that newfound confidence. After nearly 20 minutes waiting on the 18th tee as Jacob Bridgeman struggled ahead, Morikawa kept his composure. His 4-iron found the collar. Two putts later, he tapped in for birdie and his seventh PGA Tour title, his first since the 2023 Zozo Championship.

However, Morikawa’s admiration for Tiger Woods runs deep. Back in February 2021, he said, “To be honest, the best way you can get to know someone is by talking to them, right? You’re getting to know me through this interview. I’m getting to know you by the questions you’re asking. And for me to be able to ask Tiger personal questions, face-to-face, about golf, sports, family, whatever it may be, that’s all that matters to me. I’ve idolized him, and he’s been a role model or a huge reason why I’m here today.”

So, it is safe to say that this win carried extra weight for more than one reason. Morikawa announced moments after his victory that he and his wife, Katherine, are expecting their first child in May.

“It’s probably more the baby than the drought of winning,” he admitted through tears.

The timing couldn’t have been better, announcing new life alongside rediscovering his competitive edge. The 50-year-old’s guidance fixed the putting, but one problem persisted. Morikawa’s obsessive analysis had sabotaged him throughout the drought.

The mental shift that freed Collin Morikawa after two winless years

Winning two majors by age 24 created expectations Morikawa couldn’t escape.

“It’s not easy, it really isn’t,” he admitted. “You hear it, you see it, you know it. I’m not shying away from it, but it’s hard to look straight in the face and say, man, when is this going to end?”

The overthinking spiraled.

“I’ve been known amongst my team to go down these deep, deep rabbit holes. Very deep. Very, very deep,” he confessed.

On Thursday at Pebble Beach, he watched YouTube swing videos of himself, then putting videos. He’d fix one mechanical flaw and create three new obsessions. His team couldn’t pull him out. Sunday demanded a different approach.

“When I was playing golf today, it was a lot different than Thursday just because I wanted to play golf,” Morikawa explained. “I didn’t want to put a score, I didn’t want to make a birdie, make a bogey. I just wanted to play golf and hit shots.”

Playing instead of performing, that’s what had been missing.

That mindset shift, from mechanical obsession to pure play, came from within. Tiger Woods’s putting wisdom helped him compete, but Collin Morikawa had to find his own mental freedom. For 847 days, he couldn’t. Sunday at Pebble Beach, he finally did!