“I’ll talk about my FORE Youth Project” - Collin Morikawa evades media questions on the PGA Tour-PIF agreement at the US Open 2023

Ever since the PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger has been announced, Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa have been rumored to join the Saudi circuit soon. However, they have cleverly avoided shedding light on the situation.

Collin Morikawa talked at the 2023 US Open pre-event briefing on Tuesday, June 13, regarding the upcoming competition. When asked about the merger, he changed the topic and said:

"Yeah. I don’t know anything. So I’ll talk about my FORE Youth Project that we’re doing. It’s this Maggie Hathaway project. It’s amazing. It’s in a community that is for underprivileged kids, kids that don’t have an opportunity to play. There’s many great organizations coming on board with this, and it’s something that means a lot to me.”

Collin was simply deceiving the media by masking the noises from off-the-course news. He made it clear that he has been concentrating on the major tournament:

“I think L.A. has a big divide. We get to play Riviera every year, we play LACC this year. There's a huge divide between private golf and public golf out here in Los Angeles. It's not the case for everyone, but there really is, and most people are playing public municipal golf courses, and the change of this golf course is going to be great."

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"This week means so much" - Collin Morikawa excited to play at the 2023 US Open

For the first time, the US Open will be held at the Los Angeles Country Club (LACC). It includes some of the world's top-ranked golfers, including LIV players.

Collin Morikawa, who placed fourth at the US Open in 2021, is vying for his third major title. Speaking about the major at the pre-tournament press conference, Morikawa revealed that he learned about LACC hosting the 123rd US Open when he was in college and had no idea he could make it to the Tour and compete at the event.

He said:

“I mean, it is what it is. I can't control what's going to happen. None of us can, no matter what we write up or what we say. This is a major that I cared about when I was like in college and I knew about LACC hosting a U.S. Open. I didn't know where my path was going to be. "

It is pertinent to note that the United States Golf Association (USGA) announced the venue of the 2023 US Open back in 2015.

Morikawa went on to add:

"I didn't know if I was going to be on tour, if I was going to have to qualify for this, and, right, four years, pretty much four years since I've been pro. I didn't know where I was going to be, but this is the one that I wanted to make it and be at just because it is home for me. This week means so much. It always will be. It'll always be really special.”

Collin Morikawa turned pro in 2019 and has emerged as one of the most successful golfers in the world in the last four years. Having won two majors, he reached number two in the world rankings. The American golfer has played all four majors in his career.

Ahead of the 2023 US Open, he played at The Memorial Tournament but missed the cut. He had also competed in the earlier two majors of the year, finishing T10 at the Masters and T26 at the PGA Championship.