| Tip | Odds | Bookie | Sign-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morikawa to Win Tournament Winner | @7/2 |  |
£ 30 |
| Morikawa Top 5 Finish Each Way | @11/10 |  |
£ 30 |
| Morikawa 1st Round Leader Round Leader | @8/1 |  |
£ 30 |
The Case for Morikawa at Bay Hill and Beyond
Collin Morikawa's performance at Bay Hill this week has reignited one of the sport's most compelling ongoing questions: is he finally about to put it all together at Augusta?
The 29-year-old's iron play has been statistically elite for a decade. His strokes-gained tee-to-green numbers over the past six weeks rank first on Tour, and his proximity from 150-175 yards — a yardage band critical on Augusta's par-threes and demanding approach holes — has been the best of his career.
The knock on Morikawa has never been talent. It has been putting. His stroke is mechanically sound but historically volatile on the quick, contoured greens that separate Augusta from other major venues. In his two previous Masters appearances, putting has cost him double-digit strokes relative to the field average.
Putting Improvement and Augusta Implications
What has changed? Morikawa switched to a new putting coach in January and overhauled his setup. The early returns are encouraging — his strokes gained putting has moved from a net negative to slightly positive over the past month. It is not a transformation, but it is a trend.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational leaderboard entering the weekend has Morikawa sharing the lead with Scottie Scheffler, who is the defending Masters champion and heavy favourite for a third green jacket. The contrast in styles is stark: Scheffler overwhelms courses with power and scrambling brilliance; Morikawa picks them apart through precision and course management.
Three weeks remain between now and Augusta. Morikawa's form, his improved putting metrics, and the alignment of his game with Augusta's specific demands suggest this may be the year the Masters finally has a new name on its leaderboard.