Collin Morikawa captured his second major championship on Sunday, winning the 149th edition of the British Open at Royal St. George's after withstanding a furious back-nine charge by major champions Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm.
The young Californian showed maturity beyond his years, shooting a bogey-free final round of 66 to prevail by two shots over Spieth. With Sunday's victory, Morikawa became the first player to capture two different majors on the first attempt.
Just 11 months ago, Morikawa shocked the golfing world when he won the PGA Championship on his first try. He shot a six-under 64 in the final round at TPC Harding Park, punctuated by a stunning eagle at the drivable par-4 16th hole that gave Morikawa his maiden major title, joining Jack Nicklaus (1963), Tiger Woods (1999), and Rory McIlroy (2012) as Wanamaker Trophy holders at the age of 23.
Morikawa joins golfing legends with British Open win
If that achievement was already awesome, Morikawa entered a new level of greatness with his Open Championship win. He joined 15-time major winner Tiger Woods as the second golfer to win the British Open and the PGA Championship before the age of 25. In addition to that, Morikawa joined legendary golfers Gene Sarazen and Bobby Jones as the only players to have won multiple majors in eight or fewer starts at such events.
Morikawa made history in stunning style, and his 15-under par total of 265 was a 72-hole record in 15 British Opens at Royal St. George's. The winning score had been 5 under or lower in 13 of the previous 15 Opens staged at this storied venue.
Trailing by one shot entering Sunday's final round, Morikawa took control of the British Open in the closing stages of the front nine, making three consecutive birdies on Holes 7-9 to grab a three-shot lead at the turn.
He sustained the momentum with a clutch par save on the 10th hole before rolling a birdie putt up and over a ridge and into the cup on the 14th hole to build a two-stroke advantage he never relinquished. Morikawa was sensational this weekend, playing his final 31 holes without a bogey that proved to be the difference in yet another major championship win.
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Spieth and Rahm fall short in this year's final major
That flawless golf helped Morikawa hold off spirited rallies by Spieth and Rahm on Sunday. After making bogeys on Nos. 4 and 6, Spieth eagled the seventh and carded birdies on Nos. 9, 10, 13, and 14 to move to within a shot off the lead. Spieth's charge sputtered in the end, though, as he closed with four straight pars.
On the other hand, Rahm made an eagle and four straight back-nine birdies in the final round to finish tied for third at The Open Championship. Rahm, the reigning U.S. Open champion, is the only player to make the top-10 in every major this year.
Tied for third alongside Rahm was Louis Oosthuizen, whose bid for a second major title unraveled in the end yet again. Oosthuizen added to his collection of near-misses in this year's major championships, shooting a one-over-par 71 in the final round. It was a disappointing finish by the South African, who led after each of the previous three rounds of this year's British Open.
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