Could the Max Homa/Collin Morikawa bromance form a strong Ryder Cup duo in 2023?
After winning the Farmers Insurance Open, Max Homa expressed how much he enjoyed playing with Collin Morikawa during the week at Torrey Pines.
If you didn't know already, Max Homa is now a big-game player on the PGA Tour. He is building up a hugely impressive victory tally that is no doubt unfinished.
On his way to glory in California again, Homa shared the fairways at the Farmers Insurance Open with Collin Morikawa in three of the four rounds and although he beat his close friend by three shots, he couldn't have been more complimentary of the two-time major champion.
He described Morikawa as one of the most "spectacular golfers" he has ever seen and when speaking to the No Laying Up podcast after his win, he also called him "the best iron player he's ever seen in his life."
Morikawa has started 2023 strongly, despite a disappointing collapse in the final round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions, with back-to-back top-three finishes.
"Mutual respect @maxhoma23 Your golf speaks for itself but being a genuine person speaks volumes. I’ve been lucky to call you a friend over the last handful of years and look forward to many more battles/groupings together," Morikawa said in a tweet to Homa on Sunday night.
Mutual respect @maxhoma23 Your golf speaks for itself but being a genuine person speaks volumes. I’ve been lucky to call you a friend over the last handful of years and look forward to many more battles/groupings together. #PVO https://t.co/dgiAc4zySL
— Collin Morikawa (@collin_morikawa) January 30, 2023
As Morikawa said, their friendship has blossomed in the past couple of years, but it has publicly shown itself this week and you can't help thinking that US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson will be taking large, bold notes on this.
The pair were on the same team at the 2022 Presidents Cup, but they weren't paired together. Morikawa formed a fruitful relationship with Dustin Johnson at the 2021 Ryder Cup, but the LIV Golf player's participation in this event is in doubt for obvious reasons.
The 2021 Open champion played two matches at Quail Hollow back in September alongside Cameron Young, experiencing both victory and defeat.
It may be that captain Johnson wants to find another partner for Morikawa that can earn maximum points when put together as he and DJ achieved at Whistling Straits.
There is clearly chemistry between Homa and Morikawa and by the looks of the season so far, they are more or less guaranteed to be travelling to Italy with Team USA in eight months' time.
It would be Homa's Ryder Cup debut and the light-hearted presence of Morikawa could help the 32-year-old settle into what could be one of the tensest and most pulsating weeks of his career.
America is building a bank of nailed-on pairings at Marco Simone. Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay are two duos which we can expect to see on a regular basis in the foursomes and fourball sessions.
Homa and Morikawa, with 11 PGA Tour wins between them, could be the next pair to make Johnson's leadership role a little more straightforward as his team begins to take shape in January.
