Collin Morikawa claps back at criticism from Brandel Chamblee, Paul McGinley, Rocco Mediate
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Collin Morikawa has heard the criticism of his decision to decline speaking to the media on Sunday after losing a three-stroke lead with five holes to go at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. On Friday, Morikawa doubled down on his claim that "I don’t owe anyone anything.”
Morikawa birdied half the holes at TPC Sawgrass on Friday and shot 65 to move within two strokes of the lead and T-4 with Rory McIlroy at the midway point of the 2024 Players Championship. That round earned him another trip in front of the media. Morikawa answered 10 questions in all and as he finished explaining why he opted to chip with a 5-wood instead of an iron or using a putter, he stopped the assembled media who had started to walk away and said, “I just want to add one more thing.”
That entailed trying to clarify what happened on Sunday after he finished his round at Bay Hill and lost by one stroke to Russell Henley. Clearly, Morikawa is irritated at the response from former players-turned-TV commentators Brandel Chamblee and Paul McGinley on Golf Channel’s “Live From” and PGA Tour Champions pro Rocco Mediate, who skewered Morikawa on his PGA Tour Radio show.
“I might bite my tongue after saying this, but to the Brandel Chamblees, to the Paul McGinleys, to the Rocco Mediates of the world, I don't regret anything I said. You know, it might have been a little bit harsh that I don't owe anyone, but I don't owe anyone,” he said. “I respect the fans. I'm very thankful for them. I'm grateful. It makes me emotional, but it's just — it hurts to hear people say this, and especially you guys, because I finished the round and I went to go sign for 10 minutes, 15 minutes for all the people after. Not a single person from media went to go follow me because, I don't know. But that's me.
“So for people to be calling me out is — it's interesting. It just, it doesn't show anything. I mean, look, I get what you guys are saying. But I was there. I was signing for every single person right after the round, whether they wanted it or not. I finished second. They could care less. But yeah, I'm going to leave it at that, all right? So thank you guys.”
To Morikawa’s credit, this is one of the better non-apology apologies. This is a non-story if Morikawa answers a handful of questions after coming out of scoring. But his comments on Tuesday fanned the flames.
“I don't owe anyone anything. No offense to you guys, but for me in the moment of that time, I didn't want to be around anyone. Like, I didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't need any sorries. I didn't need any ‘good playings.’ Like, you're just pissed,” he said. “Honestly, if it was an hour later I would have talked to you guys, but an hour later I was on my way out to here, because I didn't want to be in Orlando anymore. But I just felt like I put everything I did into the, let's call it, seven hours of my time being there, right, a few hours before showing up, physio, workout. Look, my entire routine, right. I was just drained.
“I get it. Like you guys are there to figure out how we played and how things went, but in my perspective, like I just didn't want to talk to anyone, and I think that's fair to myself, you know.”
Morikawa continues to give the story he wants to go away more oxygen and still doesn’t seem to get why it feeds an image of pro golfers as greedy, entitled and out of touch with the rest of the world. Stay tuned for the next chapter in this war of (no) words.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Collin Morikawa doubles down on criticism after skipping media at API
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