“I, unfortunately, will not make it back” - Collin Morikawa to miss DP World Tour Championship due to ‘personal commitments’

Defending champion Collin Morikawa has made a late withdrawal from the DP World Tour Championship. The two-time major champion won't be teeing up at the European tour event this weekend due to 'personal commitments'.

Morikawa became the first American to win the DP World Tour's season-ending event in Dubai in 2021. The golfer has taken to his social media to confirm that he won’t be at the Earth Course in Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai for the 14th edition of the prestigious event.

Making the announcement through a tweet, Collin Morikawa wrote:

"I was looking forward to returning to Dubai to defend my @dpwtc, but I, unfortunately, will not make it back due to some upcoming personal commitments. Last year was such a special moment in my career and I look forward to getting back there in the future.”

The golfer's post also included a picture of himself holding the trophy from last year.

Interestingly, reports suggest that Morikawa’s withdrawal from the event is due to his wedding, which he has kept a secret. Last week, Morikawa's fiance Katherine Zhu shared images of herself from her bachelorette party. Her Instagram posts suggest that her wedding to the golfer could be just around the corner.

Collin Morikawa's year so far

Morikawa became the first American to win the DP World Tour Championship last year. He edged past Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick in the final round, carding a final-round score of 66 to win by three shots. The Presidents Cup winner surprised many as he lifted the trophy despite being a non-favorite.

The five-time PGA Tour winner has struggled throughout the year. In fact, his last victory was the DP World Tour Championship in November of 2021.

Following this, Morikawa’s best finish was at the Genesis Invitational where he clinched the runner-up position. He also finished in the top five in a few championships but didn't register any wins in 2022.

Interestingly, the golfer even addressed the same ahead of the World Wide Technology Championship in Mayakoba. Speaking to the media, Collin Morikawa put out the theory that his ‘aging’ was the reason behind his depleting career and said:

"To be honest, I think it's just getting old. I mean, man, like I, drank way more in college than I ever do now, but apparently, when you get older, your body just moves differently."

He added:

"I still feel great, like everything feels great, everything moves great but it's just not as clean as it was. And the maintenance I have to do now is just a little bit more. It doesn't mean I need to do anything crazy, I'm not changing anything really. It's just getting my body to where I need it to be.”

Collin Morikawa, who made his professional debut at the 2019 RBC Canadian Cup, missed the cuts at the PGA Championship held in St Andrews this year. He even dropped down the world rankings, putting some performance pressure on his shoulders.

His fans would have been looking forward to watching him perform at the upcoming European tour event. However, they will now have to wait for him to return, which could be in January.