Collin Morikawa has been a sensation since bursting onto the golf scene and he proved to be a worthy Open champion at Royal St George’s.
He was so cool and calm considering this was his debut in golf’s oldest major.
But the 24-year-old has shown he has the mental strength to close out a victory when he gets the chance.
Remarkably, he has won more events since turning professional than missed cuts. He has missed only four cuts, while he has won five events, including the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open.
He is a player we are going to get used to seeing near the top of the world rankings because he has a tremendous amount of talent.
The Scottish Open was another big winner.
Morikawa felt his week at Renaissance played a big part in his success and even Jack Nicklaus has been advising players that using the Scottish Open as preparation for a tilt at the Open is key.
It has been a tried and tested formula that worked for a string of recent Open champions such as Phil Mickelson, Darren Clarke, Henrik Stenson and Rory McIlroy.
Bryson DeChambeau has admitted he is seriously considering playing the Scottish Open next year and I’m sure he would be made most welcome.
I felt sorry for Louis Oosthuizen because he didn’t do much wrong. He has been the nearly man in so many majors but he keeps coming up against players who are in top form.
Morikawa produced a bogey-free four-under-par 66 on Sunday to win the Claret Jug. You don’t expect someone playing in their first Open to produce that level of golf.
In this sport, you have to seize your chances when they come along and Morikawa deserved to get his name on the trophy because he played the best golf.
Jordan Spieth was close to claiming another major. It would have been a great story of redemption if he had managed to triumph because he was really struggling with his game not so long ago.
A poor end to his round on Saturday ultimately proved costly but it was great to see him back in the mix at a major.
The creativity required for links golf really seems to suit the American. It is a different challenge to what he gets most weeks on the PGA Tour and he seems to thrive when he has lots of different options to play golf shots.
Jon Rahm also produced a pretty impressive week to finish tied third. A lot of people were tipping him for success and he wasn’t far away.
It was great to see Robert MacIntyre perform so well once again in a major championship.
He had to hole some important putts to make the cut but he managed to have a strong weekend to finish tied eighth.
The Oban man’s good work won’t have gone unnoticed by European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington.
It is going to be tough to get a pick as a wildcard because I expect Padraig will want to bring in some experienced players with his three captain’s picks.
It would be a surprise if Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia are left out but Robert will want to make the team on merit by qualifying.
He knows a couple of strong performances over the next few weeks might be enough to make the team automatically.
Robert is trending in the right direction and I don’t think it will be long before we see him seriously contending in the majors.
His focus has to be on trying to qualify for the Ryder Cup in his own right. If he falls just short then there is always the chance Padraig will give him a pick.
He has shown he can handle the pressure of big events and he makes lots of birdies, which is perfect for match-play golf.
There is a long way to go and quite a few players on the periphery of the team so it is going to be tough to make Padraig’s final 12.
It is an away Ryder Cup so it is more likely he will opt for experienced players but if Robert can keep his form going then he has every chance.
Scottish golf’s bright future
Congratulations to Aboyne’s Carmen Griffiths who enjoyed the biggest win of her career to date by winning the Scottish Girls Amateur Championship at Strathaven on Sunday.
She is a highly-rated player but her victory in the final against Katie Graham, who is in my foundation, shows what she is capable of.
Archie Finnie won the boys event to cap off a great season for him.
We have so many good, young golfers coming through the ranks just now.
I was at my foundation’s under-12 and under-10 championships this week and it was great to see so many talented junior golfers.
I’m very encouraged by the number of promising young golfers we have in Scotland.
It feels like it has never been stronger and they are so much more advanced than I was at their age. It bodes really well for the future.
