Collin Morikawa had to scratch and claw to get back to the top of the mountain on the PGA Tour.
And at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he finally returned to the winners’ circle for the first time since the 2023 Zozo Championship.
Many questioned whether the two-time major winner would ever claim another victory on the PGA Tour, but he proved all those doubters wrong at this iconic course.
The win seemingly came out of nowhere. He missed the cut at the Sony Open, then finished T54 at the WM Phoenix Open to start the season. But he looked back to his brilliant best at Pebble Beach, and was locked in with his elite iron play.
Morikawa had a phone conversation with his good friend and mentor, Mark O’Meara, after his win, and he gave him a crucial piece of advice.
Mark O’Meara told Collin Morikawa why his poor form was a good thing
Morikawa recovered from his poor form to start the season and return to winning ways, and called O’Meara after his round. Twice a major winner himself, O’Meara gave Morikawa some words of wisdom.
He said, “I told you, you just keep doing what you’re doing. Hey, look, you’re so young, and you’ve done so much, and you’re gonna have these speed bumps in your life. You’ll have them going forward too.
“You know what, it’s not bad because all it does is keeps you motivated and it makes you more appreciative when you have a day like you did today.
“On the golf course like that, hitting the shots that you hit, very impressive bud. I’m super jacked. Well done.”
Morikawa was holding back tears after claiming his seventh PGA Tour victory, so those words clearly rang true for the American. And this win has opened up a world of possibilities for the rest of the year.
How Mark O’Meara recovered from poor form
O’Meara knows a thing or two about Morikawa’s journey. His career is defined by remarkable resilience, most notably during his transition from a respected journeyman to a two-time major champion at the age of 41.
Before his historic 1998 season, O’Meara was often characterized as a solid, consistent performer who lacked a Major title
Leading up to 1998, O’Meara experienced a significant dip in form and confidence. By early 1998, he had failed to record a top-20 finish in months and entered the Masters flying well under the radar.
His recovery from this fallow period is largely attributed to his friendship with a young Tiger Woods. Practicing daily with Woods at Isleworth in Orlando provided O’Meara with a rejuvenating spark.
He noted that watching Woods’ talent and technique motivated him to elevate his own game, helping him get out of his own way and lower his expectations. This mental shift allowed him to win the Masters and The Open Championship in a single year, becoming the oldest player to achieve that feat.
Following his peak in 1998, O’Meara entered another down period in the early 2000s, during which his form declined as he began to struggle with injuries. He went nearly six years without an official win.
He eventually recovered his form by simplifying his fundamentals, an approach he later advised others to take. In 2004, he broke his winless streak by capturing the Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour, proving once again that his career could find second winds.
That’s a lesson Morikawa can learn from. O’Meara’s advice comes from a place of experience.
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