A two-time major winner made a bold claim ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup, but he is in danger of not making the team.
The 2025 Ryder Cup, played at Bethpage Black in New York, is an opportunity for revenge for the USA. They were humiliated by Europe in Rome, so a loss to Europe on home soil for the first time in over ten years would be devastating.
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Captain Keegan Bradley faces difficult decisions for the Ryder Cup. There is a host of players desperate to play for Team USA. One two-time major winner has spoken up on whether he deserves to play in New York in September.
Collin Morikawa says he brings something to the Ryder Cup team no one else can
Two-time major winner Collin Morikawa’s form has dipped, not only on the back end of this season, but over the last few years.
He was one of the fastest rising stars in golf after winning the PGA Championship in 2020 and The Open Championship in 2021. But he hasn’t won on the PGA Tour since 2023.
Morikawa has played in the Ryder Cup twice before, including in 2023 during the USA’s humiliating loss. And speaking to the Golf Channel, he talked about his chances to make the team this year.
He said, “At the end of the day, great golf takes care of itself. I know I haven’t done that, and I’ve made it harder on myself. I feel like I bring something to that team, hopefully, that no one else can.
“Depending on where I put my focus, a huge, huge goal is to make that team. I want to be there, and I want to represent the red, white and blue. I’ve done it in the past, and like I said, there’s no other feeling like it. There really isn’t.”
Morikawa is an elite iron striker. He can stick it close to the pin consistently when he’s on top of his approach game, despite being one of the shorter hitters on tour.
His late-season form has seen Morikawa fall out of the automatic qualification places, and unless he has a late-season surge, he’ll be relying on Bradley to select him. Bradley said anybody outside the top six cannot expect to be selected to the team.
He continued, “I’ve got some work to do. For me, it’s proving to myself that I know I’m the golfer that I know I can be. I’m getting back to that. Game’s feeling a little bit better, and hopefully we can put it together for three weeks.”
Collin Morikawa needs a strong showing in the FedEx Cup Playoffs
Morikawa had a solid start to the season. He was second at both the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Sentry, falling just short of victories.
Going into the final major of the season, he’d missed just one cut, at the Zurich Classic, and has three top 10 finishes. However, a missed cut at The Open Championship encapsulates his dip in form as we get closer to the Ryder Cup.
He enters the FedEx Cup Playoffs in 19th, and poor performances at the St. Jude Championship and the BMW Championship will put some doubt in the mind of Bradley.
Competitive outings and a return to form should secure his ticket to Bethpage Black; however, the coming month represents a huge opportunity for Morikawa.
