Rahm Comes from Out of the Clouds as Morikawa Folds

Monday, January 9, 2023

Golfer Magazine

With all of the proper and obvious respect that Jon Rahm deserves for flooring it for a field-best 10-under 63 to prevail by two at 27-under 265, the double take of Morikawa forfeiting another big lead sucked the oxygen out of the sea breeze at Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course on Maui, for Sunday’s setback is a replication of his last flirtation with a massive margin.

Thirteen months ago, Morikawa slept on a five-shot buffer entering the final round of the Hero World Challenge in The Bahamas. He closed with a field-high-tying 76 to finish T5 and four strokes back of champion Viktor Hovland. So, while Morikawa wasn’t in position to avenge that specifically in Hawaii, redemption anywhere also remains on ice.

Morikawa opened at +2000 to win at BetMGM. That was tied for ninth-shortest odds in the field of 39. As he has been so often before, Rahm was the favorite, this time at +600. Given his pace of the last few months especially, even that tight line presented as low-hanging fruit. Although the Spaniard eliminated a seven-shot deficit entering the final round on Maui, he’s a front-runner’s front-runner in our world in the long-term.

Elsewhere, in his tournament debut, Tom Hoge (+6000) raced home in a 9-under 64 that included an eagle and four birdies in his last six holes. He climbed 10 spots on Sunday to finish T3. Alongside him on the podium was Max Homa. The recent first-time father opened at +3300.

1 Jon Rahm 265/ -27 550.000 $2,700,000.00
2 Collin Morikawa 267/ -25 315.000 $1,500,000.00
T3 Tom Hoge 269/ -23 170.000 $840,000.00
T3 Max Homa 269/ -23 170.000 $840,000.00
T5 Tom Kim 270/ -22 110.000 $555,000.00
T5 J.J. Spaun 270/ -22 110.000 $555,000.00
T7 Tony Finau 271/ -21 86.250 $368,750.00
T7 Matt Fitzpatrick 271/ -21 86.250 $368,750.00
T7 K.H. Lee 271/ -21 86.250 $368,750.00
T7 Scottie Scheffler 271/ -21 86.250 $368,750.00
T11 Luke List 272/ -20 71.000 $292,500.00
T11 Will Zalatoris 272/ -20 71.000 $292,500.00
T13 Sungjae Im 273/ -19 62.000 $265,000.00
T13 Jordan Spieth 273/ -19 62.000 $265,000.00
T13 Cameron Young 273/ -19 62.000 $265,000.00
T16 Patrick Cantlay 274/ -18 56.000 $241,000.00
T16 Brian Harman 274/ -18 56.000 $241,000.00
T18 Corey Conners 275/ -17 52.000 $229,000.00
T18 Viktor Hovland 275/ -17 52.000 $229,000.00
T18 Aaron Wise 275/ -17 52.000 $229,000.00
T21 Mackenzie Hughes 276/ -16 45.333 $220,000.00
T21 Hideki Matsuyama 276/ -16 45.333 $220,000.00
T21 J.T. Poston 276/ -16 45.333 $220,000.00
T21 Sepp Straka 276/ -16 45.333 $220,000.00
T25 Seamus Power 277/ -15 38.533 $213,333.34
T25 Scott Stallings 277/ -15 38.533 $213,333.33
T25 Justin Thomas 277/ -15 38.533 $213,333.33
28 Trey Mullinax 278/ -14 35.133 $211,000.00
29 Adam Scott 279/ -13 33.433 $210,000.00
T30 Russell Henley 280/ -12 30.883 $208,500.00
T30 Billy Horschel 280/ -12 30.883 $208,500.00
32 Sam Burns 281/ -11 28.333 $207,000.00
33 Sahith Theegala 282/ -10 26.633 $206,000.00
34 Keegan Bradley 283/ -9 24.933 $205,000.00
T35 Ryan Brehm 285/ -7 23.234 $203,500.00
T35 Chez Reavie 285/ -7 23.234 $203,500.00
37 Adam Svensson 287/ -5 21.533 $202,000.00
38 Chad Ramey 290/ -2 20.400 $201,000.00
WD Xander Schauffele