Collin Morikawa’s victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am has drawn praise from Johnson Wagner, marking a return to the winner’s circle for Morikawa after a long wait.
Claiming victory at Pebble Beach on Sunday, Morikawa also shared some significant personal news: he and his wife are expecting their first child later this year.
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The 29-year-old had been close on several occasions since the 2023 ZOZO Championship, with one of his most painful near-misses coming at last year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, where Russell Henley edged him out.
And Morikawa is now eager to build momentum heading into the rest of 2026.
Collin Morikawa tipped to make an impact at the majors this season
Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images
There is no question that Morikawa has the ability to be one of his generation’s standout players.
He already has two major championships under his belt, and 2025 was the first time since 2019 that he did not manage a top-10 finish in any of golf’s four biggest events.
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Even so, Johnson Wagner told CBS he expects Morikawa to have a strong showing in this year’s majors.
“I think Collin can win on any golf course, with his iron play. I want to take us back to 16 on Sunday when he laid way back. Most players into the wind were hitting driver down to the bottom of the hill, trying to get a good angle with a wedge into that difficult back right flag. He lays up, he has 177 in and hits one of the closest shots of the day. I think this is not an outlier,” he began by saying.
“You go back to two years ago in ’24, he was in the hunt every single week and just seemed to get beat. It wasn’t necessarily self-inflicted wounds. I think obviously the comments he made in not talking to the media after losing at Bay Hill last year, and then doubling down at The Players Championship, I think that had an effect on him. I think the crowd turned on him. He went through a bunch of different caddies. And when you look at Collin at the start of this year, he’s got a new guy on the bag, Mark Urbanek, who was a long time caddie for Tony Finau. Mark is a really calming influence, and I think that’s going to be a combination that’s going to play really well.
“I think Collin’s going to be in contention in multiple majors this year.”
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Collin Morikawa’s major record deserves more credit than it gets
There is good reason for Wagner to feel confident about Morikawa’s chances in this year’s majors.
Morikawa has finished in the top five on seven occasions across 24 major starts. By comparison, Scottie Scheffler has managed nine in 25.
While Morikawa has not won a major since 2021, he did have a strong 2024 campaign, with his worst finish being a tie for 16th.
It will also help that the win at Pebble Beach is likely to give him some added freedom. After the win, Morikawa talked about enjoying the moment instead of looking too far ahead – a lesson learned from earlier in his career.
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He will want to avoid another long stretch without a win. But right now, he can play with plenty of confidence and belief behind him.
A confident Collin Morikawa is never an easy opponent.
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