Collin Morikawa addresses reporter incident: ‘I have to stand up for myself’

Collin Morikawa is once again defending his sometimes-contentious relationship with the media.

On Wednesday, Morikawa got into it with Golfweek reporter Adam Schupak during a press conference ahead of the Rocket Classic over a seemingly innocuous quote that the writer included in a news article about the golfer’s uncertain caddie situation.

Now, following his first round on Thursday, Morikawa addressed the incident.

“I have to stand up for myself because I’m not going to let someone throw little jabs at me and just make me into someone I’m not.”

Collin Morikawa followed up on his exchange with a reporter during his pre-tournament press conference at the Rocket Classic. pic.twitter.com/wuYcADZjJr

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“You know, at a point, you can only follow so much. And you have to stand up for yourself,” Morikawa said. “Look, this has happened twice between the same, between me and Alan [sic]. Like, it hasn’t happened between anyone else. Like, a lot of other reporters, media, I respect everyone. This whole idea that I don’t do [media], I mean, I’ve looked up how many times I’ve finished second. It’s not once.

“I think I have to stand up for myself because I’m not going to let someone just throw little jabs at me and just make me into someone I’m not. Because I know who I am and that’s all that matters. I know my people, my team, my family know who I am. But this whole perception out there right now is just, it’s a little ridiculous. And, granted, we’ve seen a few players do it as well, but that’s not who I am. Like, I am here for you guys. But it’s just, you know, I did it one time and so be it.”

Morikawa’s feud with the media began earlier this season when he opted to skip his press conference following a heartbreaking runner-up finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The situation has ballooned into a full-on crisis within golf media over player accessibility and what should and should not be required of PGA Tour members.

Collin Morikawa feels like he’s getting the short end of the stick. He has made himself available throughout the years, both after wins and losses. But to publicly take out that frustration on a reporter for including a quote that, to most reasonable people, didn’t make Morikawa look bad in the slightest, is a good way to rub fans, and the media, the wrong way.