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Collin Morikawa admits he will be forced to change his approach from this week as green-reading books become outlawed on the PGA Tour.

The world No.2 has used the books since college golf but, following a change to the Rules of Golf which came into effect on January 1, neither he nor his peers on tour will be able to use them any longer.

Speaking ahead of this week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii, the reigning Open champ revealed he used the books to inform his approach play decision-making, in order to use the slopes on the greens to his advantage.

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It has clearly been working, too. The American currently sits top of the PGA Tour’s Strokes Gained: Approach The Green stats.

Going forward, however, he’ll need to find another way to make that work.

“For me the green reading books, I used them a lot for my approach shots, like to know where pins are at, to know what kind of slopes are five yards versus ten yards away,” said Morikawa.

“It’s going to be an adjustment, because pretty much throughout college we were using them. I probably used it more for approach shots than I did for putting, but it’s still going to be an adjustment to kind of remember. So, maybe that’s on my caddie to remember all the slopes before we go.

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“I trust my caddie with everything we do anyway, so I’m not too worried, but I’m sure there a lot of other guys that really rely on it. They’ve got to find another way, right?”

Morikawa gets his 2022 underway today in the company of former Masters champion Patrick Reed.


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Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

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