Collin Morikawa addresses PGA Tour cheating claims: "You're not gaining anything"

Two-time major champion Collin Morikawa says he doesn't believe PGA Tour players try and cheat driver testing protocols. 

Former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover claimed at the beginning of the week he was aware of several players that exploit a loophole. 

Glover told his radio show he believes there are some golfers that hand over their backup driver when their clubs are selected for testing.  

When they turn up to the first tee, Glover claimed they had switched back to their original gamer. 

The insinuation from the veteran PGA Tour pro is the integrity of golf tournaments is compromised as a result.  

The chief executive of the United States Golf Association, Mike Whan, pushed back on the Glover's comments on Wednesday. 

Xander Schauffele also tried to dispel some myths around the topic when he spoke about the issue before the Memorial Tournament. 

"I'm sure someone has done it," Morikawa said when asked if a player had deliberately cheated by doing the old switcheroo. 

But he added: "People joke about doing it, but I don't think anyone actually does. All our clubs have lifespans on them. We know it.

The aforementioned Whan explained that golfers that a colour-coded system allows golfers to know how close their drivers are to failing. 

They also track the serial numbers on each club to ensure the tested club is the same one in a player's bag on the first tee. 

Morikawa said that to his knowledge his driver has never failed a test of legality when he was selected at random. 

That's despite the fact the TaylorMade staff player had a SIM driver in his bag for more than three years. 

"Somehow [it] never failed," Morikawa said. 

"But like I said, it's just, the amount of shots people hit, the reps you take, you keep hitting it in the centre, they have lifespans.

"So I don't think people do that. I think people joke about it, but I don't think people do it. 

"And if they do, then, I mean, sure. Is it going to help? I don't think it's going to help. 

"When these fail, we're on such fine margins that they give us this like green, yellow, red. 

"Like we want our drivers to be in yellow, it's passing, but it's like you want it to be fast, you don't want it to be slow. 

"But if it's close to failing or if it's failing and it's close to cracking, I mean, what are you gaining? You're not gaining anything. 

"Guys aren't going to hit it 25 yards further. I don't think it's really changing much. 

"It's just you got to have a line somewhere and that's where they have drawn the line."

Morikawa is playing the first two rounds of the Memorial alongside former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama. 

He is still searching for his first win on the PGA Tour since the 2023 ZOZO Championship in Japan. 

Morikawa has come close to ending his drought. 

He was runner-up at The Sentry and Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

Morikawa shared 14th place at The Masters and finished 50th at the PGA Championship. 

Defeat at Bay Hill was particularly disappointing for Morikawa and he decided not to speak to the media after he was pipped to the title by Russell Henley. 

It led to a debate over whether elite professional golfers should be obligated to offer a few minutes of their time. 

Jack Nicklaus told media during his annual news conference that no matter if he played well or poorly he would always speak. 

Nicklaus also admitted he was surprised at Rory McIlroy's decision to skip his tournament and not even call him. 

McIlroy has now missed three signature events.