For the second time in five weeks, Collin Morikawa found himself in a playoff on the PGA Tour. The first time around, Morikawa missed a four-footer to lose to Daniel Berger at the Charles Schwab Challenge, which was the Tour’s first event back after the hiatus due to COVID-19. Sunday, it was Morikawa who came out on top as he defeated Justin Thomas on the third playoff hole to win the Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village Golf Club. The victory marks No. 2 on the 23-year old’s impressive resume. Since turning pro in 2019, he has six top 10s in addition to his two wins and a single missed cut.
With his victory on Sunday, Morikawa leaped from No. 16 to No. 9 in the Ryder Cup point standings. If he continues the remarkable consistency he has shown so far in his young career, he’ll be a likely qualifier for his first Ryder Cup team in 2021. The Cal grad is no stranger to team competition as he was previously a member of the Walker Cup, Arnold Palmer Cup and Eisenhower Trophy.
The top eight in the Ryder Cup point standings remained unchanged following the Workday Charity Open, but several players made significant moves in the standings. Russell Henley, who finished T7 at Muirfield Village, jumped from No. 72 to No. 55. Charley Hoffman, who also finished T7 along with Henley, moved from No. 51 to No. 40 in the standings. Sam Burns also made a significant leap with his T17 finish from No. 53 to No. 44. They are each looking to qualify for their first Ryder Cup team.
