Collin Morikawa, last seen winning a trophy in 2023, has since been searching for the spark that once made him unstoppable. Despite appearing in almost every major event, including the Ryder Cup, his trademark precision and composure have struggled to translate into victories. Once a symbol of consistency and calm, Morikawa now finds himself watching others rise — and one person’s gain is another person’s loss. As Robert MacIntyre rides a wave of success with multiple wins and a career-high world ranking, Morikawa faces the mounting challenge of reclaiming the form that once set him apart.

Discussing the same on the Fried Egg Golf podcast, Andy Johnson notes, “Collin Morikawa might drop out of the top 10, down to nine. It’s kind of crazy.” He further adds, “I mean, he started the year, what, three? Four. No, four. He was behind [Xander] Schauffele.” 

Xander Schauffele is currently ranked in fourth place with 6.09 average points, while Morikawa is currently placed at 8th with an average of 4.7. But with MacIntyre’s win, Morikawa will likely be pushed further down. As Johnson remarks, “That is tough to do.”

For the past few years, Morikawa has consistently struggled to affirm his footing on the PGA Tour. It is surprising enough that he still finds himself in the top 10 ranks. The OWGR follows a complex collection based on a rolling two-year cycle of points, divided by the number of events a player has played. And as Morikawa has faltered in almost all of them, his number of events has kept him within the ambit of elite players.

Otherwise, his performance has been nothing but disappointing. Just this year, he missed the cut at the Scottish Open and the Open Championship, adding no points to his overall rank. The only top results he delivered came early on in the year. He was tied for 2 at The Sentry and then held a solo second position at the Arnold Palmer. Since then, it has been a no-go, with his last four events giving him an easy place out of the top-20.

Yet, by some miracle (the perks of being experienced and having a good iron-play), he found himself on the Ryder Cup roster. And it goes without saying that he faltered there as well. As the US lost, Morikawa somehow found himself in more troubling waters. He went winless with a record of 0-2-1, a stark contrast to his 87.5% points success in 2021. “Not every day will go exactly to plan…,” he shared after the event, luckily finding much-needed support from his fan base. Otherwise, he has been surrounded by a critical lens, as one New York Times article quoted, “Morikawa is playing by far the worst golf of the current candidates.”

If one opens his PGA Tour profile, it will not take them long to realise that the best season the American had was in 2021. He had consistent top finishes, including a tie for 3rd place at the Tokyo Olympics, a win at The Open, and winning the Race to Dubai – the first American to ever do so. That year saw him achieve his career high rank of #2.

But that was all.

Once he declines further in ranks, there can be chances for him to see his way out of the top-10. Apart from MacIntyre, there are other players too eyeing to grab a position in the list. With the likes of Tommy Fleetwood further ascending the ranks, Morikawa could soon risk his secured position. History has had it before. Players like Jordan Spieth, once considered the Golden Child of golf, are now nowhere to be seen due to a loss in consistency. Morikawa needs to be careful in that regard.

Of course, there were flashes of brilliance here and there in this season for him, but overall, Morikawa failed to repeat the same talent as his 2021 self. And there could be several reasons for that.

The curious case of Collin Morikawa

Collin Morikawa’s troubles this season are not just statistical, but are formed by a combination of other factors. He has faced a lingering neck injury which has affected his posture, particularly in links golf. Then there are back issues as well that haunt the 28-year-old, stretching back to the 2021 Ryder Cup.

“It takes a toll out of you. I don’t think people understand the physical stress we endure every single day…When challenges arise, your thoughts are consumed by golf. ‘How can I continue to improve?’ That’s the pursuit,” Morikawa said in August this year.

Then there are technical aspects as well. Morikawa has seen a significant drop in his putting. In Strokes Gained: Putting, he has fallen ridiculously from 73rd to 140th (-0.275). At the same time, his Around the Green has also seen a decline from last year’s 10 to 104 this year (-0.060). This was notably also the reason why he and his partner, Harris English (interestingly, the least-ranked pair on the Ryder Cup pairings) lost their round in the Ryder Cup.

But like a man flails his arm in the dark, so has Morikawa tried to attain his previous form back. He has had putter changes in the middle of the season, in hopes of regaining confidence on the green. Then he had multiple caddie changes, citing communication gaps and uncertainty during tournament play. But as one could see, none of this has seemed to work so far.

“These are frustrating years where I feel like I come into it with a positive attitude and look back at it and say, man, what could I have done better? That’s just who I am. A little unfortunate to finish out the year like this,” says Morkiawa a few months back.

With the season coming to an end, Collin Morikawa could only hope for a better start.