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PGA’s Collin Morikawa Details Bond With Scottie Scheffler, More
Golf might often be described as a lonely game, but Collin Morikawa has found a brotherhood with fellow American golfers Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele.
In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly ahead of the 2024 Presidents Cup — which teed off Thursday, September 26, from The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Quebec, Canada — Morikawa, 27, spoke fondly of the bonds he’s formed with his United States teammates and their families.
“I’ve known Scottie for more than 12 years,” Morikawa said. “Xander and I were pretty close when he was out in Vegas for a couple of years. We played a lot of golf. It’s just nice to be around them and have all the wives together.”
Colli married wife Katherine Morikawa in November 2022. Schauffele, 30, married wife Maya Lowe in July 2021 and Scheffler, 28, married wife Meredith Scheffler in December 2020, before the couple welcomed their first child, son Bennett, in May of this year.
More than a support system for their husbands, Collin joked that the players’ wives are good at keeping them humble.
“When the girls are around, there’s zero golf talk,” he said. “They couldn’t care less and, honestly, we couldn’t care less about talking golf around the girls.”
While Katherine might not be keen on hearing about her husband’s day on the course, Collin gushed about what an important source of stability she’s been since the two began dating at the University of California, Berkeley.
“When I first turned pro [in 2019], she was out there traveling with me and that’s what kept me grounded,” he recalled. “That was a big turning point, just having someone there. She’s been by my side even before all this professional golf stuff. She works so hard at the things she puts her mind to and honestly it’s just very motivating to have someone like that by my side.”
Katherine is quite the athlete herself, completing her first half marathon in November. When she completed another one in Las Vegas this February, Collin was there by her side to celebrate.
“She’s huge. I should give her way more credit than I do and I feel like I thank her a lot,” the golfer said. “She is awesome. She is the rock of everything.”
In addition to spending quality time with the Schefflers and Schauffeles, Collin said the Presidents Cup provides an opportunity to start forming other bonds with members of the America squad.
“We spend every day and every second with them,” he said. “It’s very relaxing knowing that I know a lot of these guys. And the guys I don’t know so well, we’re able to hang out, relax and feel comfortable around each other.”
He added, “That’s part of having a good team and having a good week, just being comfortable around everyone.”
The 2024 Presidents Cup — which pits the U.S. against an International Team representing the rest of the world minus Europe — continues until the final round on Sunday, September 29.