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For 14 holes of the opening round of the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, Collin Morikawa had a few folk thinking he’d might have been sandbagging in the lead-up to the $8 million Roles Series event.

After a wild and windswept five-over-par tie for 62nd in Abu Dhabi last week, the world No.2 spent Monday through Wednesday desperately trying to find his game and telling anyone willing to listen about his travails.

Then, in a flash, the 24-year-old raced to seven-under par through 14 holes on the Majlis and the summit of the Desert Classic’s Thursday leaderboard. It seemed he’d rediscovered the magic of his Claret Jug, WGC, DP World Tour Championship and Harry Vardon trophy winning form of 2021 in just three days of grind on the Emirates Golf Club range. The only question was how many Morikawa would lead by overnight.

But golf is hard and momentum fickle. With three dropped shots in his final four holes, the Open champion had to settle for a four-under 68 and a share of 9th place, three strokes behind leader JB Hansen.

“It was a disappointing finish but I’ve been working Monday through Wednesday, even into yesterday late after the Pro-Am, trying to figure things out. When you are thinking about so much, you always have to remember to go play golf,” Morikawa said.

“I’m happy with four-under. Not thrilled, but to see just some things that I’ve been working on show up on the course was really nice.”

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The highlights included a sumptuous up-and-down for par from the front of the par-5 13th and a chip-in birdie three on the 16 in an outward nine (Morikawa’s group teed off the 10th) negotiated in 31 strokes, six under. 

But after another birdie on the short 2nd, Morikawa stuttered home, a pushed approach and slightly overcooked chip on the 6th accounting for his first bogey before his drive on the 8th found a tricky line in the waste area off the 8th tee. A pushed par putt on the 9th compounded the late frustration.

You said it’s as hard as you’ve worked between events to get where you wanted it. What were the things you tried to put in place?

“Everything,” Morikawa offered. “Literally once I tee the ball [up] to once I take the ball out of the cup, I’ve been thinking about everything, trying to figure out what to do. And sometimes that’s all you have and you’ve got to play with it, and that’s what I’m doing.

“I’m trying to not worry about too much and just show up on the golf course, play golf, and just know what my miss is going to be, and I think that’s the biggest thing.

“Even this week when I showed up on Monday, it’s going back to drills I’ve done in the past. Most of the times, it’s the same thing that happens, and it gets too far on one side that I’ve never really seen and you just hope that a drill brings you back, and we are slowly teetering to where I want to be. Even if I’m not there, I still feel like I’ve got to go out and play and make it work.”

Morikawa will draw confidence from the fact he’ll start Friday three shots better than playing partners Rory McIlroy and Bernd Wiesberger who opened with 71s. That, and no doubt another afternoon of grind on the range, is indeed something to work with.