Min Woo Lee having success with his 2-iron at Players Championship
Big-hitting Min Woo Lee is banging his 2-iron around TPC Sawgrass and has posted scores of 67 and 66 through 36 holes at 2025 Players Championship.
- Critics, including Brandel Chamblee and Rocco Mediate, found Morikawa’s comments disrespectful to fans and sponsors.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH — Collin Morikawa is one of the more cooperative and accessible players on the PGA Tour. He always has been media-friendly.
And the No. 4 ranked golfer in the world has every right to refuse interview requests after a crushing finish, as he did a week ago following the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
But Morikawa should have expected blowback for his decision — right or wrong — and especially following his comments in which he said “I don’t owe anyone anything.”
Now, while trying to defend himself for a second time in a story that did not die at The Players Championship, Morikawa is not being genuine when defending himself.
After answering questions Saturday about chipping with a 5-wood, Morikawa finished his media session with an unsolicited rant about the criticism he has received. He directed his ire at Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee and Paul McGinley, and PGA Tour Champions player Rocco Mediate.
They all criticized Morikawa for not speaking after he surrendered a three-shot lead with five holes to play last Sunday in Orlando. He finished second, one shot behind Russell Henley, after shooting 72 on the final round.
Morikawa doubling down: ‘I don’t regret anything I said’
“I might bite my tongue after saying this, but to the Brandel Chamblees, to the Paul McGinleys, to the Rocco Mediates of the world, I don’t regret anything I said,” Morikawa said. “You know, it might have been a little bit harsh that I don’t owe anyone, but I don’t owe anyone.
“I respect the fans. I’m very thankful for them. I’m grateful. It makes me emotional, but it’s just … it hurts to hear people say this, and especially you guys, because I finished the round and I went to go sign for 10 minutes, 15 minutes for all the people after. Not a single person from media went to go follow me because, I don’t know. But that’s me.
“So for people to be calling me out is … it’s interesting. It just, it doesn’t show anything. I mean, look, I get what you guys are saying. But I was there. I was signing for every single person right after the round, whether they wanted it or not. I finished second. They could care less. But yeah, I’m going to leave it at that, all right? So thank you guys.”
Morikawa makes it seem he was not asked to talk following the round, but a request was made by media. He declined.
The reason no one approached him before or after he signed autographs was because he had already declined to speak and the media was respectful of his decision.
Morikawa explained his decision not to talk during his media session prior to The Players saying he was “just pissed” and didn’t want to hear anyone trying to boost his spirits.
“Like I don’t owe anyone anything,” he said. “No offense to you guys, but for me in the moment of that time, I didn’t want to be around anyone. Like, I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I didn’t need any ‘sorries.’ I didn’t need any ‘good playings.’ “
Morikawa said he would have talked an hour later, “but an hour later I was on my way out to (The Players), because I didn’t want to be in Orlando anymore.”
Mediate, speaking on his radio show, called Morikawa’s comments, “biggest bunch of horses*** you could ever say, period. I mean, that is the dumbest, most selfish garbage you could ever say.
“Stop talking to me about, ‘I didn’t wanna talk to anybody.’ Your job is to tell people what happened. I don’t give a s*** about your workout in the morning and all that other crap. Tell me what happened.”
Chamblee, speaking on the Golf Channel, called it “so disrespectful” to not speak to the media after blowing the lead in the final round of a tournament.
“When I found that he had refused to do the interview, I was thinking about the players who had suffered far more devastating losses, far more momentous losses, who regained their equilibrium and with class gave the media … and it’s not just giving the media, it is giving the fans and the sponsors and the entire ecosystem of the golf world an explanation of the humanity of losing,” Chamblee said.
Morikawa entered Saturday’s third round of The Players Championship tied for fourth at 9-under, two shots behind leaders Min Woo Lee and Akshay Bhatia.
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at [email protected].
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