Final week, Collin Morikawa dashed out of Bay Hill and prevented the media after coughing up a three-shot lead on the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Two days later, in his pre-tournament press convention at The Gamers Championship, Morikawa defined why he did so, saying that he “doesn’t owe anybody something.”
That led many former gamers, comparable to Rocco Mediate, Brandel Chamblee, and Paul McGinely, to weigh in on his resolution. All of them criticized the two-time main winner for not dealing with the music and explaining his perspective on what occurred. Mediate known as his transfer and subsequent response “horse sh*t,” whereas Chamblee and McGinley defined that the media serves as conduit to the followers. Chamblee and McGinley then illustrated how everybody, from these in sport, enterprise, and in life total, endure dropping and heartbreak extra usually than successful. Daily folks can resonate with those that fall quick way more than those that have climbed the mountain high.
And but, after his 7-under 65 at The Gamers on Friday, Morikawa doubled down on why he skipped out on the press.
“I would chew my tongue after saying this, however to the Brandel Chamblees, to the Paul McGinleys, to the Rocco Mediates of the world, I don’t remorse something I mentioned,” Morikawa mentioned.
“It may need been a bit of bit harsh that I don’t owe anybody, however I don’t owe anybody. I respect the followers. I’m very grateful for them. I’m grateful. It makes me emotional, nevertheless it’s simply — it hurts to listen to folks say this, and particularly you guys, as a result of I completed the spherical and I went to signal [autographs] for 10 minutes, quarter-hour for all of the folks after. Not a single individual from the media went to comply with me as a result of, I don’t know. However that’s me.
“So for folks to be calling me out is — it’s attention-grabbing. It simply, it doesn’t present something. I imply, look, I get what you guys are saying. However I used to be there. I used to be signing for each single individual proper after the spherical, whether or not they needed it or not. I completed second. They might care much less. However yeah, I’m going to depart it at that, all proper? So thanks guys.”
Most high gamers, like Morikawa, make hundreds of thousands of {dollars}, however the price of being a professional golfer is that you’ve got an obligation to talk to the followers by way of the media. Individuals idolize these gamers and might be taught quite a bit from their trials and tribulations. Maybe they’ll invoke their perspective and the way they deal with adversity into their very own every day lives, a degree Chamblee emphasised on Golf Channel earlier within the week.
But Morikawa feels otherwise, and continues to dig his heels in and stand his floor.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By means of. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.
