Collin Morikawa: Season 'more of a sprint' with signature events, majors

Collin Morikawa plays his 10th tournament in 12 weeks when the Travelers Championship tees off Thursday, a maxed-out schedule borne of the PGA Tour signature events weaving between golf's four majors.

"It's been a lot," said Morikawa, who has three top 5s in his last four starts.

"I feel like, I think this year has just felt a little bit more of a sprint, let's call it. But I think that's just because of the season. Not having a fall portion or at least not having a fall portion that's counted towards this season. I think that's an adjustment. But I have nothing wrong with it. Every other sport they're playing every day, every few days. Granted, our weeks are a lot longer and, yeah, we get pretty drained as well, but a lot of these tournaments I would have played no matter what, wherever they were on the schedule, and you kind of work and them."

Morikawa shot a second-round 63 at the Travelers in 2023 but didn't make the cut because of a 4-over on his opening 18. This week is a no-cut event.

He's embracing the challenge ahead and expects plenty of low scores on soft greens, even if rain in the forecast doesn't arrive in Cromwell, Conn., site of the last of eight Tour signature events.

Morikawa is playing for the third consecutive week and finished runner-up at the Memorial Tournament. His final round of 71 at Muirfield Village and 72 on the final 18 at the U.S. Open are part of a recent trend. Morikawa was sub-70 just once -- 68 at Colonial Country Club in the Charles Schwab Challenge -- in the final round in his past five starts.

Morikawa, No. 7 in the world, performed well at the U.S. Open propelled by a third-round 66 but finished in a tie for 14th after carding a 2-over 72 with six bogeys on Sunday.

"You're mentally fatigued, I think, when you're in contention," he said. "So after Memorial you definitely feel the weight of that. After kind of the past month you feel it. For me -- I get enough rest, I feel great. I kind of know what I need to do when I'm out there and I don't spend too much time just being out on the golf course, because that's what other guys are doing."

--Field Level Media