Collin Morikawa made seven birdies and a bogey to shoot 64 and take the lead early in the second round of the Open Championship.
SANDWICH, England — Collin Morikawa, playing in his first Open Championship and having never played links golf before last week, held the early second-round lead at Royal St. George’s — another sign that, in these unusual times, it should probably just be accepted that what is not normal will prevail. His coach, Rick Sessinghaus, would typically be here to help guide him along. Because of the various travel restrictions, though, he was watching from eight times zones away in Los Angeles on Friday, bleary-eyed, not wanting to get too far ahead of himself through just 36 holes. « You can ask me that on Sunday when he is in contention, » Sessinghaus said when asked whether he found it difficult to have to watch from so far away. » A lot of golf left, and I’m just enjoying watching and seeing him in control of his game. » Sessinghaus undoubtedly watched with his pride as his star pupil — they have worked together since Morikawa, now 24, was 8 years old — made playing a links course seem easy. He made seven birdies and a bogey to shoot 64 and take the lead. Morikawa, who won the PGA Championship last year at Harding Park in his first attempt at that major, is playing in The Open for the first time and never got a taste of links golf until last week at the Scottish Open.
