Air Cap notes: Last year’s Trans-Miss winner Collin Morikawa fires 63

The lone amateur in this year’s Air Capital Classic played a round any professional would have enjoyed Saturday.

Collin Morikawa, a sophomore at California, shot a 7-under-par 63 to climb to 10 under after 54 holes in the Web.com Tour event at Crestview Country Club. Morikawa, 19, is competing in his first pro tournament after earning a sponsor’s exemption by winning the Trans-Mississippi Championship last summer at Andover’s Flint Hills National.

“I’ve enjoyed it so much,” said Morikawa, who posted the lowest single-round score by an amateur in the tournament’s history. “It’s been a year since I’ve known I’d be playing in this tournament and I’m just taking in everything I can, learning from all these guys and it’s fun.”

Morikawa wasn’t sure he would make the cut after bogeying his final hole Friday to finish 36 holes at 3 under. But the Pac-12’s freshman of the year hit the ground running Saturday with birdies on the first four holes.

He added two back-nine birdies and an eagle at the par-5 14th.

“You don’t get too many opportunities like this,” said Morikawa, who tied for 10th at the NCAA Championships last month. “You just want to come out here and play your best.”

Morikawa arrived in Wichita after winning the Sunnehanna Amateur a week ago in Johnstown, Pa. That event’s past winners include two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, Rickie Fowler, Lucas Glover and Webb Simpson.

Morikawa fired a final-round 62 to win the Sunnehana. In last year’s Trans-Miss, he carded three consecutive rounds of 64 to set the competitive course record at Flint Hills.

“I’m just trying to play my best,” said Morikawa, who will try to defend his Trans-Miss title at San Francisco’s Olympic Club next month. “I don’t have to change my game to play out here with these guys. If I play my best, I can still compete.”

Campbell rolling – Brian Campbell, who has soared to No. 9 on the Web.com money list with four top-10 finishes in six starts, made the most of moving day. The 23-year-old made six birdies and an eagle for a 62 that left him at 11 under.

“It actually could’ve been 59,” said Campbell, who tied for second in last month’s BMW Charity Pro-Am and was runner-up to James Driscoll last weekend in Nashville. “I actually missed a couple of short birdie putts, but I hung in there and made a few more. It was a really special day.”

Campbell, the low amateur in the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, wasn’t satisfied with his putting the first two days at Crestview. There were no concerns Saturday.

“I found a little key on the range and the greens, and today it just all fell together,” Campbell said.

Spears bounces back – Former Wichita State golfer Ryan Spears didn’t quite duplicate his season-low opening-round 64 on Saturday. But he came close with a 66 for a 54-hole total of 8-under 202.

“Yesterday I just didn’t hit the ball well,” said Spears, who got back on track after shooting a 72 in windy conditions late Friday. “Today was more like the first day. I hit a lot of fairways and believe I only missed two greens out there, so that helps.

“We had some close opportunities, and when it gets windy out here, you need a couple good looks because putting is tough when it’s blowing.”

Sterling native Michael Gellerman, who made his first cut in three Web.com starts, matched Spears’ 64 and 72 in the first two rounds. He carded a 68 on Saturday to enter the final round at 6 under.

Etc. – Three of the four former Air Capital Classic champions in the field made the cut, but couldn’t make a positive move Saturday. Casey Wittenberg, the 2012 winner, shot even-par 70 to stay at 5 under. Two-time winner Brad Elder shot 72 to fall to 1 under and Sebastian Cappelen, the 2014 champ, carded a 73 to slip to 3 under. … Web.com money leader Wesley Bryan, who is playing in the PGA Tour’s Quicken Loans National this week, shot a 4-under 67 to move into a tie for 10th at Congressional Country Club. He is nine shots behind leader Billy Hurley III.

This story was originally published June 25, 2016 at 7:12 PM with the headline "Air Cap notes: Last year’s Trans-Miss winner Collin Morikawa fires 63."