Who is Collin Morikawa’s coach?

He is one of the best iron players in the world, so who is Collin Morikawa’s coach? 

With a stunning golf swing and formidable irons, Morikawa is a multiple major champion for a reason, thanks to wins at the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 Open Championship. 

To build his reliable swing, Morikawa worked tirelessly with the same coach he met when he was eight-years-old before making a change in 2024. 

In moving to one of the most respected coaches in golf, Morikawa enjoyed immediate success.

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Who is Collin Morikawa’s coach Rick Sessinghaus?

Morikawa started working with his longtime swing instructor Rick Sessinghaus at eight-years-old. The American’s game was heavily influenced by the teaching of his childhood coach, who is also a mental performance coach.

Coming from a high-level sports background, Sessinghaus has a doctorate in applied sports psychology and took care of Morikawa’s psychology as well as his swing.

Born in Los Angeles, California, Morikawa grew up playing at Chevy Chase Country Club – a sloping course that offers a variety of lies. 

So, the pair set out to hit shots from different slopes and that has allowed Morikawa’s controlled iron game to become one of the best in golf. 

Sessinghaus told PGATour.com: “With Collin, at an early age, we were doing a lot of our lessons on the course.  

“There’s a lot of great swings out there but not many golfers. He learned to play at a high level. Collin’s been wired that way; I’ve tried to cultivate it, raise his golf I.Q. by putting him in different situations.

“He’s going to look at a golf course and create a strategy based on his capabilities. He’s not going to overpower it, but he can plot his way around based on his strengths.” 

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Having been a coach for over 25 years, his experience lifted Morikawa to remarkable success at such a young age. But after nearly two decades together, the pair split before the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome.

Morikawa then employed Mark Blackburn, a highly respected coach who has worked with Max Homa and Justin Thomas.

But in the spring of 2024, Morikawa was reunited with his coach Sessinghaus.

Morikawa also has a putting coach – Stephen Sweeney. 

He began working with Sweeney in November 2022 and said it’s the first time he has worked formally with a putting coach.  

Whilst at the University of California, Berkeley, Morikawa worked with men’s golf coach Walter Chun. 

Longtime Cal Golden Bear coach Steve Desimone helped recruit Morikawa to the university and also worked with him as well.  

Desimone, who was at Berkeley for 37 years, described Morikawa as the “easiest kid he has ever coached”.