Collin Morikawa has endured a disappointing 2025 season, producing calls for him to be left off Keegan Bradley’s Ryder Cup team.
The two-time major winner is winless on the PGA Tour since 2023. Morikawa admitted he wasn’t playing good golf, and he had made it difficult to justify being selected by Keegan Bradley.
Recent form doesn’t correlate to Ryder Cup success, however, and what Morikawa brings is experience winning on the biggest stage, both individually and on a Ryder Cup team. He was part of the Team USA that beat Europe 19-9 at Whistling Straits in 2021.
Morikawa’s wealth of experience has led him to do something at the Procore Championship that will be crucial for Bradley and Team USA in New York.
Collin Morikawa introduced himself to every staff member at the Procore Championship
The importance of Ryder Cup fans has been consistently emphasised by analysts, fans, players, and captains throughout the lead-up to the tournament. So much so that Xander Schauffele said he can’t prepare for what is to come from the New York support.
Bryson DeChambeau said he expects a tsunami of noise, but Team Europe’s captain Luke Donald responded, saying the Ryder Cup crowd could turn on the Americans if they get off to a slow start. That makes winning them over essential for Team USA.
Morikawa seems like a prime candidate to do exactly that after he introduced himself to every staff member and volunteer on the first tee at the Procore Championship, according to Golf Monthly’s Lauren Katims.
She explained: “Before his first tee shot, Collin Morikawa (my personal favorite) shook hands and introduced himself to not only his playing partner and caddie, but also to every staff member and volunteer surrounding the hole.
“It was such a classy, polite and noticeable move. Apparently this is what wins the fans over, including me! I spoke to the Hole 9 Captain, a tournament staffer who was making sure everything was going smoothly at the turn.
“He said the fan favorites are always the players who have the best attitudes, show the best etiquette, and remain upbeat and calm during their rounds. People notice those things, sometimes more than the golf shots.”
It might seem like a small and meaningless gesture, but putting in the legwork to win over the crowd at Bethpage could allow them to weather any potential European storm on the first day of action.
Winning over the New York crowd is crucial, says Johnson Wagner
It could be the single most important aspect of the weekend for Team USA. The home crowd is the Americans’ single biggest advantage, and a slow start could turn it into their biggest weakness.
Europe started 4-0 two years ago in Rome, their best ever beginning to a Ryder Cup. If history were to repeat itself, the crowd’s reaction would depend on how the Americans approach the week’s build-up to the event, says three-time PGA Tour winner Johnson Wagner.
He told Subpar, “I really hope Keegan has them out there engaging the crowd early in the week. I think it’s going to be a pretty big corporate crowd, and New York, being the melting pot that it is, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a bunch of European fans out there.
“I hope we can win the crowd over Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, so we don’t have to worry about them turning on us if we go 0-4 in that first session.”
Brandel Chamblee worries that the players’ decision to demand money for playing in the Ryder Cup could sour public opinion of them. If that’s the case, then every player needs to be as committed as Morikawa to putting themselves in a favourable light at Bethpage.