Although Dustin Johnson leads the field in the PGA Championship going into the final round, California duo Cameron Champ and Collin Morikawa will be piling on the pressure on a course they both know well on Sunday.
Morikawa, 23, shot a five-under-par 65 on Saturday to leave him on 7-under in tied fourth, two strokes behind the leader, Dustin Johnson, who also shot a 65.
The lowest round of the day. 👏@Collin_Morikawa will be in the hunt for his first major on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/Urpc1r7MAe
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 9, 2020
This is only the talented Morikawa’s second Major but he will feel he is in with a great chance because he knows the TPC Harding Park course better than most others after playing college golf at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a three-time first-team All-American and reached the top spot in the world’s amateur golf ranking.
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“It helps, I’ve played here maybe a dozen times,” Morikawa said about the course. “I’ve played it enough. It helped to show up Tuesday and know the course already. I knew the layout. I didn’t have to figure out the putting green. It helps, not have to worry about learning the ropes.”
Cameron Champ, who is tied-second and is one shot behind DJ, is a native Californian and could be on the verge of a maiden Major win. The 25 year old leads the field in driving distance and shot a 67 to go into the final round at eight-under.
Breaking down Cameron Champ's drive💪#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/N9Vbpn9GR8
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) August 9, 2020
Johnson believes that it helps the younger guys like Morikawa and Champ not having any fans attending the events as it’s not as pressurising. “Playing without big crowds helps guys who haven’t been there, because big crowds play a big part,” Johnson said. But on Sunday, he added, “everyone is still going to feel it.”
Morikawa recently defeated Justin Thomas in a playoff at the Workday Charity Open and has proven that he has a huge future ahead of him. A win this week would be the ultimate breakthrough.
“If there were fans, I’d feel like a little more of a Major feel, with big crowds,” Morikawa said, looking forward to Sunday’s round. “But yeah, I feel very comfortable, and that’s always a good sense. Three birdies in my last four holes show I’ll be ready.”