Collin Morikawa doesn't hold back at Rocket Classic – 'Don't put me down'
Collin Morikawa used a press conference to chastise a reporter who allegedly painted him in a bad light. Ahead of the Rocket Classic, Morikawa fielded a question about parting ways with his caddie, Joe Greiner.
In the lead-up to the PGA Tour event, he teed off in the Delta Dental Pro-Am alongside athletes and public figures. While at the first tee at Detroit Golf Club, Adam Schupak of Golfweek asked Morikawa about his caddie situation.
The 28-year-old dismissed the question, however, saying (via the Mirror US): "Ask me anything you want in my press conference later. I'm with my pro-am partners now."
In a subsequent article titled, 'Collin Morikawa is changing caddies again, splits with Joe Greiner ahead of Rocket Classic,' Schupak included the quote while emphasising that Morikawa doesn't have a full-time caddie arranged.
When Schupak quizzed Morikawa in the pre-tournament press conference, Morikawa scolded the journalist, saying: "I read your article that you wrote.
"Look, I'm not here to tell people how to do their jobs, but I don't get why you would make me sound bad because you put out my quote that I was playing with pro-am partners out front.
"Those guys are paying a lot of money, they're very important to the community, they're very important to the Rocket Classic, and for you to put out a quote like that to put me down and saying, 'Hey, wait two and a half hours.' I mean, you called me up on the first tee, you know?
"So, I'm not gonna tell you how to do your job, you can write whatever you want, this is America. But don't put me down like that, because it's two and a half hours, Adam."
In response, Schupak argued: "I thought I was actually giving you credit that you were playing, you were focused on your pro-am partners."
Morikawa replied: "Okay, we can all read it very differently, that's not how I read it. I think there's a perspective where people can read it like that, so I'm just gonna leave it at that.
"We knew I was gonna have media in two-and-a-half hours. I'm on the first tee meeting my pro-am partners as they're teeing off.
"On the caddy front, it's a process that I'm going through. Hopefully, we'll find out when the time comes, and I will let everyone know. Thank you."
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