Collin Morikawa has an outside shot to win the tournament championship on Sunday.
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Heading into the final round of the 2024 Tour Championship, it looks like Scottie Scheffler’s loading FedEx Cup title cannot be stopped. But one person thinks Collin Morikawa can come-from-behind and steal the Cup. His name is Collin Morikawa.
“I knew all week it was going to take something special to come out on top and I was going to need something very special (on Sunday),” Morikawa said Saturday night after the third round. “But I believe in myself and hopefully it will come out tomorrow.”
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The two-time major champion will start the final round five shots behind Scheffler, but there is no one closer to the world No.1. The next closest follower is Sahith Theegalawho is nine shots back.
So, barring a complete collapse from Scheffler, Morikawa appears to be the only player with half a chance of challenging for record $25 million winner bonus. And there is one statistic that supports Morikawa’s belief: no one has played East Lake better this week.
Not including initial FedEx Cup results, Morikawa is leading Scheffler by one stroke17 under to 16 under.
His plus points heading into the final round is the extensive experience he has had playing alongside Scheffler on Tour, and they will be paired together again on Sunday.
“Every experience I’ve had playing (with Scheffler) … there’s been a lot of things I can draw on,” Morikawa said. “Look, tomorrow I know I’ve got to get off the 1st hole and have a lot of energy and be ready to play golf and make something happen.”
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And while he admitted it would be a tall order to see off Scheffler in the grand final of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, he explained why he thinks he has a chance.
“It will be very difficult, but I believe in myself that I can do it. Five strokes is a lot, but two-stroke swings do happen. I think I’ve seen a couple over the last few days,” Morikawa reasoned on Saturday night. “Look, I just have to play my game. I have to go downstairs. I know that. I hope I have that in me today. I have 18 holes left in the season. I keep talking about it, but I’m going to put everything I have into these next 24 hours.”
It’s amazing that Morikawa is in this position in the first place, given how his season has gone so far. Although he has captured seven top 10s and one runner-up finish in the 2024 season, he has failed to win a single tournament. Now with another great round, he could still win the season title and his big bonus prize.
And Morikawa revealed that perspective after his third-round 67.
“Just knowing where I was at the beginning of the year and where I am now, it’s the same me, but different,” Morikawa explained. “Look, like I said, I’ve got 24 hours to put everything I’ve got and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure we’re prepared and ready to go. It is what it is, whatever happens tomorrow.”
Morikawa and Scheffler advance to the final pairing on Sunday at 1:05 pm ET.
