Collin Morikawa posted his fourth win in five tries this week and the USA rolled to its 10th consecutive victory in the Presidents Cup, defeating the International squad 18.5 to 11.5 at the Royal Montreal Golf Club on Sunday.
Morikawa, the 27-year-old Cal grad. also was part of the winning American team in 2022.
USA already had clinched this year’s crown by the time Morikawa completed his 2 and 1 win over Adam Scott in Sunday’s singles competition.
Morikawa began the 2024 season slowly then finished strong, with a string of top-10 finishes ,including a tie for third at the Masters, even though he never won a tournament.
“It’s just been nice to keep it up,” he said in an interview with NBC Sports on his solid play in recent months. “Honestly, I look back and kind of wish I had the wins, wish I’d closed out some final rounds.
“Overall, since pretty much Augusta and the Masters, I kept up a very high level of play. I’m really proud of that and hopefully continue that. I know what to work on. I know what to keep focusing on.”
Morikawa was part of a relatively youthful American team, featuring 28-year-old Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, 30.
Asked about the team’s camaraderie, Morikawa said, “It’s great. I’ve known Scottie for a long time and we all have different personalities but we all vibe really, really well together.
“We all know what to focus on and we don’t have to tell each other that. And obviously we were able to pull through today.”
Follow Cal grad Max Homa contributed to the triumph with his own 2 and 1 win over Mackenzie Hughes. It was the first point of the week for Homa, who was participating in the event for the first time.
A third one-time Golden Bear, Byeong Hun An of South Korea, halved his match against American Sahith Theegala.
Although the final score was decisive, 20 of the 30 matches contested over four days weren’t settled until at least the 17th hole. That was the case with nine of Sunday’s 12 matches.
It added up to the most decisive win ever in the series by the Americans. The next Presidents Cup is scheduled for 2026 at Medinah near Chicago.
