[Golf Topic] Morikawa "Joining the Competition for the U.S. Team's Olympic Ticket"

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] ○…'Major Champion' Collin Morikawa (USA, photo) has joined the competition for the U.S. Olympic golf team ticket...

As of the 12th (Korean time), he ranks third in the U.S. team hierarchy after world No. 2 Justin Thomas and No. 4 Dustin Johnson. Morikawa won the first major of the 2020 PGA Tour season, the PGA Championship, held on the 10th at Harding Park TPC (par 70) in San Francisco, California, instantly rising to world No. 5. He is also competing for individual titles, ranking second in prize money ($5.14 million) and second in FedEx Cup points (1902 points).

The Olympics allow a maximum of two players per country, with up to four players if they are within the top 15 in the world rankings. The Korean women's team and the U.S. men's team are representative examples. The U.S. team is particularly competitive, with seven players ranked in the 'Top 10,' including No. 6 Webb Simpson, No. 7 Brooks Koepka, No. 8 Bryson DeChambeau, and No. 9 Patrick Reed, making team selection challenging. Although Johnson declared he would not participate in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his mind may change next year with the 'one-year postponement.'

Moreover, Morikawa's father is Japanese, which serves as a special motivation for participation in the Tokyo Olympics. It is interesting that the 'returned golf emperor' Tiger Woods is also eager for an Olympic gold medal. This is because he aims to add an Olympic gold medal to his four different major championship trophies, achieving a 'Career Golden Slam.' NBC Sports predicted, "The dynamics will change once again in the three FedEx Cup playoffs, the U.S. Open in September, and the Masters in November."