Collin Morikawa needs to give back to golf, its legends and fans no matter what happens on course

Life is hard. Golf is hard. Sometimes both during the same week.

During the occasional week on tour, a truly exceptional golfer can sometimes do nothing but watch as a chip from off the green by an opponent -- which is often 50 percent skill and 50 percent luck -- miraculously finds the bottom of the cup for an eagle. Said chip ultimately resulting in a loss for the truly exceptional golfer who prior to that had the tournament all but locked up.

One of the most famous of these “miraculous” chips came at the 1987 Masters when Larry Mize chipped in from 35 yards from the pin on the 11^th hole to beat tour superstar Greg Norman. It was a chip that not only shocked Norman, but the golf world. It is also worth noting that Norman had lost the PGA championship the year prior when Bob Tway holed out from a bunker on the 72nd hole to beat him. Two Majors. Norman loses both on chip ins. “Ouch” and “ouch.”

However, to his great credit, Norman did address the media after each heartbreaking loss. Flash ahead to the Arnold Palmer Invitational just over a week ago when Collin Morikawa held a three-stroke lead with five holes to play on the final day until Russell Henley chipped in for eagle on 16 and went on to beat him by a stroke.

“Ouch” for sure for Morikawa but not nearly as devastating as the two losses by Norman or a number of other golfers over the years. However, after the painful loss, Morikawa refused to address the media.

Several days later during a pre-tournament news conference at TPC Sawgrass, two-time major champion Morikawa explained his decision: "I don't owe anyone anything. No offense to you guys, but for me in the moment, I didn't want to be around anyone. Like, I didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't need any ‘sorries.’ You're just pissed."

Stars from NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB refuse to do interviews at times

Collin Morikawa reacts to a missed chip into the cup on on the ninth hole during the third round of The Players Championship PGA golf tournment Saturday, March 15, 2025 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

On one hand, Morikawa makes a very valid point. Sometimes after a really bad loss – or a truly miserable day at the office for the rest of us – sometimes you just need to mentally decompress and lick your wounds. How many star players from the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB have refused to do an interview with the media after either a bad game or a truly painful loss out of their control? The correct answer: countless.

On the other hand, when those really bad losses and moments pop up, it’s incumbent upon the player - and all of us -- to read the room correctly. To be sure, many people – including Rocco Mediate, Brandel Chamblee and Paul McGinley – felt Morikawa had an obligation to address the media.

Said former player Mediate in part: "Your job is to tell people what happened. You lost? You lost. You got beat? That's what happens. Guess what? Golf's hard. Man up, talk about it and be done." The former player and current commentator called Morikawa “fragile.”

While I truly understand Morikawa’s larger point, in this case, he was wrong for two major reasons. The very first being he was playing in “Arnie’s” tournament. No matter if he understands it or even agrees with it, he and every young golfer owe Arnold Palmer everything. Everything. Most especially respect. Respecting Mr. Palmer in this case means addressing the media after his famed tournament.

Next, Morikawa does owe the fans. Many believe professional golf is in a free-fall with a growing number of those fans. Here's a little secret for Morikawa and the other young players from the likes of the late, incredibly great Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, and Phil Mickelson: You have to give back to the fans. You have to show them that you truly love and appreciate them. Back in the glory days of NASA, the expression went: "No bucks. No Buck Rogers." Guess what? The exact same formula applies to the PGA tour.

Young PGA Tour golfers should smile more often

For today’s golf fans, many of these young players often look alike, talk alike, swing alike, dress alike, share the same swing coaches, and the same sports psychologists. Even when they get birdies and the occasional eagle, many of them look like they are getting a root canal. No smiles. No joy. No fun interaction with the fans. Trust me, no one wants to pay to see -or watch from home -- a bunch of golf androids moping about a course for 18 holes displaying zero personality, zero appreciation for the fans and zero self-awareness.

As I have written for The Palm Beach Post in the past, I believe it was a massive - and potentially suicidal - mistake for the PGA Tour and some of its leading players to declare war on the LIV Tour. As the PGA tour has learned the very hard way, what brings fans and eyes to their tournaments are larger-than-life personalities such as Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter, and others.

Look alike, talk alike, swing alike, and mope alike golf androids will not cut it. If the game is to survive and grow, the players must not only work hard at selling their own game, but actually love and appreciate the fans and give back to them as well.

Tough loss for Morikawa for sure. That said, he needs to take a mulligan and next time, give back to the legends, the game and the fans, which have given him so much.

Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official and author of the book: The 56 – Liberty Lessons from those who risked all to sign The Declaration of Independence.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Analysis: Collin Morikawa owed media, fans a response after losing Arnold Palmer

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