Practising left-handed shots with Tiger Woods almost paid off – Collin Morikawa

Morikawa hit a poor approach to the par-four fifth hole at the Renaissance Club which stopped on the edge of a steep bunker.

Collin Morikawa hit a “cool” left-handed chip during the second round of the Genesis Scottish Open (Richard Sellers/PA) (PA Archive)

Practising left-handed shots with Tiger Woods in Las Vegas almost paid dividends for Collin Morikawa in the second round of the Genesis Scottish Open.

Morikawa hit a poor approach to the par-four fifth hole at the Renaissance Club which stopped on the edge of a steep bunker.

The two-time major winner was unable to take a normal stance and play his next shot right-handed, so turned a wedge over and hit a left-handed chip, which finished seven feet from the hole.

“I ordered a left-handed 8-iron about a month-and-a-half ago just to screw around,” Morikawa said.

“When I was at Tiger Jam (Tiger Woods’s annual charity golf and poker event) Tiger actually hit it. We were both screwing around with it.

“It doesn’t mean I’ve been chipping with it, but it gave me a little bit more of an ease knowing that I wasn’t too worried about the bunker right there.”

Morikawa unfortunately missed the par putt, but added a 66 to his opening 65 to lie three shots behind clubhouse leader Ludvig Aberg.

“I made bogey on one of the easiest holes of the day,” the 2021 Open champion said. “It sucks, but I’m glad it looked cool, I guess.”