American Collin Morikawa could create a historic European Tour first later this year should he capture the Race To Dubai (R2D) No.1 title.
Morikawa, 23 is currently lying second on the R2D ranking and just a slender 28 points behind fellow countryman Patrick Reed.
However, Reed has the opportunity to extend his lead having chosen to cross ‘The Pond’ to tee-up in this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
The brilliant 2020 PGA Championship winning Morikawa is an affiliate member in finishing just inside the top-50 earlier this year at the WGC – Mexico Championship but then he’s teed-up in just four European Tour counting events with each of the four on the North American continent.
“The DP World possibly could be added to my schedule as I haven’t decided yet, but it was definitely something that before this quarantine stuff happened, that’s why I signed up for the European Tour membership,” he said ahead of teeing-up in this week’s Shriners Hospital Open in his home city of Las Vegas.
“This was appealing to me. I was going to be in the WGCs, in the majors.
“It was appealing. I want to go over there and play. And I want to see what it’s like to go over there and play against other players that I’ve seen. I’ve known a few others, so it definitely could be added to the schedule.
“That’s the reason why I signed up for the membership, is to try and win it. I wouldn’t just sign up just to sign up. I’ve got the Masters ahead of me. Obviously Patrick is playing this week like you said. But that’s all out of my hands. If I play well at the Masters, then we can make a good run for it and we’ll be out there in Dubai. I think it’s in December, right?
“So we’ll see how that plays out, but it would be a really cool trip I bet to kind of head over there.”
And if Morikawa were to win later this year on the Earth course at Jumeirah Estates he more than likely will be the first to do so without having set one foot on the continent of Europe.
“I don’t know if I would get a lot of the hate or what,” he said smiling.
“Everyone goes through it for being an affiliate member. That’s just part of being a part of the affiliate membership I have the first year of playing is that you don’t necessarily have to go over and play. You can use the WGCs and the other events to kind of — the majors — to add up your points.
“I just happened to win the first major that was really a huge point pool that kind of jump started me up there. You know, I can’t say anything about it because I don’t know the system that well. I’m very fortunate to be in that position.
“Obviously I want to make something out of it giving myself a chance like that.”
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