The Open 2021: Why Collin Morikawa deserves to be 'Champion Golfer of the Year'

Collin Morikawa's Open victory capped an unprecedented period of seven men's majors in the last 11 months - a thrilling spell that began with the young American's triumph at last year's US PGA Championship.

By bookending this unique time when golf's biggest tournaments came along with record regularity, Morikawa has made himself the game's newest superstar.

The 24-year-old plays a sport where form and results routinely fluctuate. Nothing can be taken for granted, but he seems destined for greatness given his extraordinary rate of success.

From the moment Morikawa burst onto the professional scene in 2019, no one could argue with his ball-striking skills. Within a handful of tournaments he was a PGA Tour winner; playing privileges having been rapidly secured.

Then he won the US PGA Championship at Harding Park at the first time of asking in August last year. Arriving at Sandwich would be another new and triumphant experience.

During his fledgling career, the only questions have surrounded his putting, yet - employing an increasingly dependable claw grip - he produced one of the finest displays seen on the greens during a major Sunday.

It was an astonishing Open debut. "Everything about my stats says I'm not a good putter," Morikawa admitted. "I feel like I can get a lot better.

"But in these situations I feel like everything is thrown off the table. Forget about all your stats, who can perform well in these situations?"

And with that answer the champion outlined an essential winning mentality required to land the sport's most prestigious titles. It is a quality that runs through the DNA of all those who have prospered in the last year.

The leading four players who made the cut in all four majors in 2021 were, fittingly, the quartet who battled to become the champion golfer of the year; Morikawa, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth and Louis Oosthuizen.

Rahm won the US Open last month and the other major winners in the past 11 months have also been from golf's top drawer.

Last September the 2020 US Open went to Bryson DeChambeau, while the Masters Green Jacket fitted perfectly Dustin Johnson a couple of months later. Hideki Matsuyama's Augusta triumph in April was also an overdue success.

Phil Mickelson reminded us that class in permanent by beating Oosthuizen to the US PGA title in May, before Rahm's maiden major at Torrey Pines also condemned the plucky South African to a sixth major runner-up finish.

Morikawa believes the champions and regular contenders in this spell share a common mentality. "That's why I think over the past few majors you've seen a lot of the same names up there," said the winner at Royal St George's.

"Because they believe in their game, they know what they're doing when they practice, and they're able to bring it out in these big moments."

Morikawa is perhaps least surprised at his rate of success. He quickly settled into professional life, not content with taking place money.

The man from Los Angeles turns up looking for trophies.

This dawning came at only his third tour event, the 2019 Travellers Championship. He heard Brooks Koepka say he was there to win.

"When he first turned pro he was there to make cuts," Morikawa explained. "Then he went to top 30s and top 20s and top 10s.

"From that day I just switched to, let's go out and win."

He was succeeded as PGA champion by the now 51-year-old Mickelson. "When Phil won the PGA I didn't look at him as this old guy winning," Morikawa said.

"I looked at him as competition that could still play really well. If he put everything together, and he did, he could play well and win.

"At 24 years old, it's so hard to look back at the two short years that I have been a pro and see what I've done because I want more."

And there appears plenty in prospect for the first player since Bobby Jones to win multiple majors in only eight or fewer starts.

In the last century only Jones, Peter Thomson, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth have won an Open aged 24 or younger. Morikawa joins an illustrious list in that regard too.

He is part of a formidable US line up that is dominating the world game. Yes, the Spaniard Rahm tops the world rankings but the now third ranked Morikawa is one of 11 Americans in the top 16.

Steve Stricker, the United States Ryder Cup captain, is going to have one of the strongest teams ever assembled when his side take on Europe for the trophy at Whistling Straits this September.

Padraig Harrington will be skippering the underdogs - a status that has suited Europe on plenty of occasions - for their defence in Wisconsin.

The majors came thick and fast but have not been kind to UK players and last week's Open was particularly disappointing.

Robert MacIntyre was the exception; the spirited and talented Scot carding weekend rounds of 65 and 67 to finish in a share of eighth.

Paul Casey posted another major top 20, but there was little for the 152,330 spectators who were allowed on the course last week to cheer from a home perspective. Not that this mattered greatly because they still revelled in a glorious and atmospheric spectacle.

Fans could watch the world's best players display their skills on a course set up superbly.

The undulating fairways were kept soft enough to prevent good shots from being propelled into knee deep killer rough and the greens were sufficiently slow to ensure play could continue in the most challenging winds.

This was in keeping with recent Opens where scoring has been consistently low. Since 2016, when R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers took over at St Andrews, only Francesco Molinari's Carnoustie win three years ago has been under par by single digits (-8).

Each of these events have produced thrilling championships and fitting champions; Henrik Stenson (-20) in 2016, Jordan Spieth (-12) in 2017 and Shane Lowry (-15) at Royal Portrush in 2019.

Now Morikawa's name is added to the Claret Jug. He was bogey-free for his last 31 holes in finishing 15 under par.

This formidable young man won with poise and grace and seems destined for golfing greatness. At the same time he is setting impeccable standards for the rest to follow.