As a wave of players continue to jump ship and sign on with LIV Golf, two-time major champion Collin Morikawa issued a strong statement, reaffirming his commitment to the PGA Tour.
Morikawa, one of the best young players in the sport, took to social media Tuesday to quash rumors that he was considering a move to the Saudi-backed rival tour that’s dominated golf headlines in recent weeks. Though it’s unclear exactly who was suggesting the 25-year-old might be leaving the PGA Tour, Morikawa adamantly stated his intention to stay.
“Just your #11 money winner on PIP here to say good morning to everyone! Last week at my press conference, I said the media loves creating drama. Sure enough, I woke up this morning to everyone thinking I’m next,” Morikawa wrote on Twitter Tuesday. “Not to say I told you so but…I told you so.
“To state for the record, once again, you all are absolutely wrong. I’ve said it since February at Riviera that I’m here to stay on the @PGATOUR and nothing has changed. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some cereal to pour in my milk.”
Questionable cereal decisions aside, Morikawa’s firm defense comes while whispers grow that other players could follow the likes of Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed to LIV. World No. 19 and four-time major winner Brooks Koepka became the latest to announce a move to the rival tour on Tuesday, after sparring with reporters on the subject during a U.S. Open press conference last week.
Much like the other high-profile figures in the sport, Morikawa has already discussed the LIV Tour on a number of occasions. Just last week at the U.S. Open in Brookline, the 2020 PGA Championship winner explained that while the various moves were entertaining, the constant discussion was getting exhausting.
“I think when you wake up and I’m texting my agent or I’m texting my friend about, ‘Hey, did you hear about this or I’m getting news about this, it’s fun, it’s exciting because it is gossip.’ Who doesn’t like gossip, right?” Morikawa said, per CBS Sports. “But it also becomes a distraction, and you don’t want to be focused on this or that. You want to be focused on playing golf.”
With his future intentions cleared up, Morikawa can get back to focusing on golf for the time being. He is not in the field at the Travelers Championship this week, but is set to defend his 2021 Open Championship title in three weeks at St. Andrews.
