Collin Morikawa will make his debut in New Orleans this year
Collin Morikawa, who became only the second player to win a major and a WGC title before the age of 25, will team with fellow golf prodigy Matthew Wolff in their debut at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.
“These two players are some of the brightest stars among the newest generation on the PGA Tour,” said Worthy. “Both won tournament titles in their first year on Tour, and both have electrified fans since they turned pro,” Worthy added.
Morikawa won the 2020 PGA Championship in August after the PGA Tour resumed play last summer. Then he went on to win the World Golf Championships-Workday Championship in February, becoming only the second player to win both a major and a WGC title before turning 25. The other player to accomplish that feat was Tiger Woods.
He is currently ranked fourth in the world.
Morikawa won his first PGA Tour title as a Special Temporary Member in his eighth career start, which qualified him for the FedExCup Playoffs that year. Prior to that, he finished tied for second in only his fourth PGA Tour start at the 3M Open, where he played with eventual champion Matthew Wolff in the final round.
His first victory of the current season came at the Workday Charity Open in a playoff over Justin Thomas. He lost to Daniel Berger in a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge, the first event back from the suspension of the season.
He was a three-time first team All-American at University of California where he was named 2018 Golfweek Men’s National Player of the Year and earned Pac-12 Player of the Year honors in 2019. He also reached the number one position in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
He was named to the 2017 Walker Cup team, the 2017 and 2018 Arnold Palmer Cup squads and won the 2018 Eisenhower Trophy.
Wolff won the 3M Open in only his fourth start on the PGA Tour, becoming a winner at 20 years, two months old. He went on to be named the 2018-19 Rookie of the Year on the Tour.
The next season, he scored a solo second in the Rocket Mortgage Classic He later tied for fourth in the 2020 PGA Championship won by Morikawa.
This season he took sole second at the U.S. Open in September, after holding a two-stroke lead going into the fourth round. The next week, he tied for second after a playoff in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
He is currently ranked 23rd in the world.
He played two seasons for Oklahoma State where he was a two-time first-team All-American and two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection. He won the individual title at the 2019 NCAA Championships and the Fred Haskins Award as the nation’s most outstanding player as a sophomore.
The Zurich Classic is the only team tournament on the PGA TOUR season. Since launching the team format in 2017, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans has drawn some of the highest ranking fields for any regular-season tournament on the PGA TOUR.
About Fore!Kids Foundation:
Since 1958, the Fore!Kids Foundation has raised money to fund children’s service organizations through golf events like the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, The Holiday Auction Fore!Kids and several charitable golf tournaments. As a 501(c)(3) corporation, Fore!Kids has helped to raise more than $40 million to date for children’s charities in metro New Orleans and Baton Rouge. More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.
Despite the cancellation of the 2020 tournament, Zurich Insurance donated funds to the Fore!Kids Foundation to make $1.5 million in contributions to area non-profits, the same amount as the year before.
About the Zurich Classic of New Orleans:
Televised in more than 224 countries and territories, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans generates a significant economic impact on the city of New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana. Independent research has shown that the tournament generates spending of more than $40 million within the local economy and garners $33 million in positive national and international media exposure for both the city and state throughout the year beyond the four days of competition.
The tournament will be played April 19-25, 2021 at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Purse for 2021 totals $7.4 million, with each member of the winning team earning $1,069,300.
Day-specific grounds tickets are only $35. In addition, the Best of the Zurich Class Pass offers a variety of dishes from some of New Orleans most famous restaurants at four locations across the TPC course. Additional ticket options are available by calling the Tournament Office at 504-342-3000 or online at www.zurichgolfclassic.com