Collin Morikawa Turns to a Friend’s Putter to Spark Pebble Beach Revival
Collin Morikawa once harshly described his putting as being done “by a blind man,” a sign of just how frustrated he had become during his winless stretch. That struggle followed him into 2026, starting with a missed cut at the Sony Open and a T54 finish at the WM Phoenix Open.
Looking for a reset, Morikawa made an unusual move — he borrowed (and jokingly said he “stole”) a putter from close friend Kurt Kitayama. The two have known each other since middle school and now both live in Las Vegas. The switch immediately paid off at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where Morikawa fired a third-round 62.
During that round, he hit all 18 greens in regulation and gained a career-best 8.891 strokes on approach. He moved into a tie for second at 17-under alongside Sepp Straka and Jake Knapp, just two shots behind leader Akshay Bhatia.
Despite the surge, putting has been a long-term issue. Morikawa currently ranks near the bottom of the Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting and has fallen outside the top 100 in that category multiple times since his winless stretch began.
Beyond equipment, he credits a mindset shift inspired by mental coach Rick Sessinghaus, who reminded him that when he first turned pro, he focused on winning — not just making cuts. That reminder helped him approach Pebble Beach with a more aggressive, confident mentality.
Morikawa’s story adds to a long tradition of players finding success with borrowed clubs. Tiger Woods nearly won The Open in 1998 using a backup putter from Mark O’Meara, while Wyndham Clark captured the 2023 U.S. Open with a replica of Rickie Fowler’s putter.
Now trailing Bhatia by two shots heading into the final round, Morikawa enters Sunday with renewed confidence — powered by a friend’s putter and a rediscovered winning mindset.