Collin Morikawa reveals he "stole" fellow PGA Tour pro's putter en route to Pebble win

Collin Morikawa revealed he “stole” Kurt Kitayama’s putter prior to sealing his seventh PGA Tour title at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am — and insists his friend may not be getting it back any time soon.

Morikawa birdied three of his final four holes to post a joint tournament-record 22-under par, finishing one shot clear of Min Woo Lee and Sepp Straka at Pebble Beach.

The victory ended a near two-and-a-half-year wait for a PGA Tour title and was built on a dominant long game display. Morikawa ranked first in strokes gained tee-to-green (9.681) and second in greens in regulation (83%) across the four days.

• Straka pays Morikawa ultimate compliment after Pebble win

Putting, however, has often been the weaker link in the two-time major champion’s game. At Pebble Beach he ranked 44th in strokes-gained putting in the 80-man field — yet delivered when it mattered most.

A crucial 40-foot birdie putt dropped on the 15th hole before he converted from 12 feet at the 16th to take the outright lead. Although he made bogey at the par-3 17th after flirting with the penalty area, Morikawa responded in style at the par-5 18th, putting from out the rough to set up a straightforward birdie to seal the title.

The catalyst for his turnaround on the greens? 

Kitayama’s TaylorMade Spider Tour X.

Morikawa had been switching between putters in recent weeks, experimenting with a blade model — the same wide TaylorMade blade used by Nelly Korda in a recent win — but results were limited. 

Then everything changed during a casual round ahead of the WM Phoenix Open a week previous. 

Explaining how the putter switch came about, Morikawa said:

"Yeah, so we were playing, let's see, we were playing the Friday right before Waste Management (Phoenix Open). We had a match, it was myself, Kurt, his brother and Min Woo. It was actually, it's Kurt's putter but his brother was using it. I had gone all week, the last two weeks with a different blade style of a putter. Actually, the one Nelly Korda won with I believe two weeks ago. This wide TaylorMade blade. I was putting with it, didn't make anything. I looked at Daniel, his brother, his caddie. I said, oh, let me try it. I tried it on maybe the 13th hole. Felt great. I was like, I jokingly said I might have to take this. Then the rest of the round I only putted with that putter. Went the next two days. My wife actually had just ran a marathon that Sunday. Yes, she is an absolute psychopath. But so the next two days I actually didn't touch a club other than my putter, or his putter. That's all I was doing in the hotel room. Like I didn't hit balls, I didn't do anything, just putting in the hotel room, putting, putting, putting. Obviously that didn't help for Phoenix. It just, I don't know, who knows what putter I'll have in the bag. That's kind of how I stole it. I don't know if he's going to want it back. He looked at it again this week. I think he's trying to replicate it with maybe a different club or whatever. But it's mine now."

The change proved transformative. Morikawa fired a sensational 10-under 62 on Saturday before closing with a 67 on Sunday to lift the trophy.

• Collin Morikawa WITB 2026

Morikawa's Spider Spec: 

Kitayama, meanwhile, finished at 9-under par in a tie for 48th. 

Morikawa also credited several fellow professionals for offering timely advice on the greens in the build-up to Pebble Beach, including Kitayama, Max Homa and 15-time major champion Tiger Woods during recent TGL matches.

He said of his putting assistance: "The work that you put in day in and day out, guys helping you here and there. Like even like Kurt Kitayama helping me with my putting just saying little things. I talked To max, I talked to Kiz, I talked to Tiger during TGL matches. That's a lot of putting help, but just because everyone cares. It's a weird ecosystem in our world because we're all essentially individuals trying to beat each other out, but for the most part of my seven years being out here, everyone's been able to lend a helping hand when you do ask."

The win vaulted Morikawa from 19th to fifth in the Official World Golf Rankings and up to third in the FedEx Cup standings.

And as for the putter? It appears the Spider Tour X has found a new long-term home.