Collin Morikawa ‘Heated, Pissed,’ Explains No-Show at Bay Hill, Ready for The PLAYERS

Collin Morikawa almost ended his winless streak at Bay Hill when he finished just one shot behind the winner. Morikawa led the Arnold Palmer Invitational after 54 holes, but was unable to play his best golf down the stretch and had to suffer Russell Henley claiming the title.

It was the second runner-up finish of the season for Morikawa, who has remained close to victory despite failing to deliver. In the end, however, the result has never quite come to date, and there is no doubt that it has been frustrating for him.

That feeling was evident when he refused to speak to the press following his performance in the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

During his press conference at TPC Sawgrass, home of The Players Championship, Morikawa revealed that he was very upset at the time and would have spoken to the press an hour after the tournament had finished if he had been able to.

“Yeah, just heated,” Morikawa said Tuesday. “Just pissed. Like I don’t owe anyone anything. No offense to you guys, but for me in the moment of that time, I didn’t want to be around anyone. Like, I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I didn’t need any sorries. I didn’t need any ‘good playings. Like, ‘you’re just pissed'”.

“Honestly, if it was an hour later I would have talked to you guys,” he added, “but an hour later I was on my way out to here, because I didn’t want to be in Orlando anymore. But I just felt like I put everything I did into the, let’s call it, seven hours of my time being there, right, a few hours before showing up, physio, workout. Look, my entire routine, right. I was just drained.”

But Morikawa has healed his wounds from Bay Hill and is ready for his next battle at TPC Sawgrass. The two-time major winner said he is already focused on The Players Championship as his next challenge:

“I have to get over it,” he said, “I mean, I’m back on my two feet; I’m trying to figure out how to play my best golf here for this week.”

Collin Morikawa was the leader at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with 18 holes to play and a score of 10 under. In the final round, he did not enjoy the same level of play as in the previous days, but he maintained and even extended his lead on the front nine.

However, the final nine holes of the tournament did not go his way, as he carded two bogeys and a birdie until the 14th hole, while Henley carded two birdies and a bogey to move to within one stroke of the lead. Henley’s heroics came two holes later when he eagled the 16th to take the lead.

A birdie on the final four holes would have given Morikawa a chance to force a playoff, but he parred all four to see his title aspirations evaporate.

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