Collin Morikawa's Honest Reaction to Pro Outside FedExCup Top 100 Entering $20M Signature Event

Mar 5, 2026, 4:30 PM CUT

Most high-ranking players would watch this week from home, but Joel Dahmen is playing. Colin Morikawa gave a simple and honest reason why.

Joel Dahmen finished 122nd in the FedExCup standings last season. This week, he is playing in a $20 million signature event at Bay Hill, and Collin Morikawa was asked about it on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.

"Opportunities aren't just handed out to everyone; you have to go and earn it," Morikawa said. "Joel was given an opportunity, a couple of sponsor exemptions. He's taken that opportunity and turned it into something great."

PGA, Golf Herren AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am - Final Round Feb 15, 2026 Pebble Beach, California, USA Collin Morikawa chips on at the 17th green during the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Pebble Beach Pebble Beach Golf Links California USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKiyoshixMiox 20260215_mio_ma1_011

Dahmen’s place in the field is not luck. He finished T-7 at the Farmers Insurance Open and followed with a T-9 at the Cognizant Classic last week. Those finishes gave him the final Aon Swing 5 spot in the 72-player field.

Four stars. Two top 10 finishes. A place in a $20 million event.

Collin Morikawa understands his way so well. When he turned professional in 2019, sponsor invitations gave him his first chances on the PGA Tour. He won in his third start on tour. Those early chances had helped build his career.

Since then, he has won two major championships and seven PGA Tour titles.

"There's a lot of good golfers out there, and you just can never let your foot off the gas," Morikawa added. That's the message. Dahmen heard it before anyone said it.

Colin Morikawa Arrives at Bay Hill With His Own Unfinished Business

Twelve months ago, Collin Morikawa held a two-shot lead on the back nine at Bay Hill with five holes left, but he did not win.

Russell Henley made a chip-in eagle on the par-5 16th and changed the tournament. But Morikawa had only finished runner-up at 10 under.

He returned in 2026 with better form and won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am in February, which ended a 895-day gap without a PGA Tour win.

A T-7 finish at Riviera the next week showed the win was not a one-week result. His iron play has returned to a high level. His putting, which hurt him in tournaments during 2024 and into 2025, has also started to improve at the right time.

"I've been in a lot better headspace to trust my golf game," Morikawa said. "This is a golf course where you just have to stay on top of everything and not get too complacent."

Do you think Collin Morikawa can finally win the Arnold Palmer Invitational? Let us know in the comments below.

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Kalp Thaker