Collin Morikawa's 'good luck charm:' The British Open's new US 支持する／優勝者 credits caddy and golfer girlfriend, 25, who he met at college in 2017 as 存在 secret to his success and says he 'didn't start winning until she showed up'

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Collin Morikawa was 栄冠を与えるd the 勝利者 of The Open at 王室の St George's on Sunday but has long hinted at the secret to his success - his golfer girlfriend, Katherine Zhu.?

American Morikawa, 24, who has joined Seve Ballesteros, Tiger 支持を得ようと努めるd and Jordan Spieth as the only men to 勝利，勝つ The Open in the last 60 years at such a young age, credits Zhu, 25, who was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, for helping him rise to the 最高の，を越す of his game.?

The loved-up couple, who often 噴出する about each other on social マスコミ, have been together since their college days in 2017.?

After winning the 149th British Open on Sunday, Morikawa said:?'This is by far one of the best moments of my life to see everyone out here.?I wouldn't be here without my family, friends, Kat, my girlfriend. They 港／避難所't been able to make the trip but they've been getting up 早期に to watch.'

American Morikawa, 24, who has joined Seve Ballesteros, Tiger 支持を得ようと努めるd and Jordan Spieth as the only men to 勝利，勝つ The Open in the last 60 years at such a young age, credits girlfriend Katherine Zhu (pictured, on holiday recently), 25, for helping him rise to the 最高の，を越す of his game

Katherine Zhu was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. Pictured, at Valley of 解雇する／砲火／射撃 明言する／公表する Park, Nevada, on 1 December 2020

The loved-up couple (pictured, together), who often 噴出する about each other on social マスコミ, have been together since their college days in 2017

一方／合間,?Zhu 株d a 甘い selfie of the pair kissing on a cliff on Instagram and penned:?'So incredibly proud of you! You've 遂行するd so much since turning プロの／賛成の in 2019 and I really can't wait to see what's next.'

Morikawa 答える／応じるd: 'Literally my good luck charm.'????

And it's not the first time Morikawa has 賞賛するd his partner for 補佐官ing his success. After winning the PGA 選手権 in 2020, he told the ゴルフ Channel: 'Kat has been by my 味方する through it all. She would hate me if I didn't say this, but I didn't start winning in college until she showed up in my life, so thanks Kat.'?

'Whenever she's there, it always just gets me away from ゴルフ. She knows how I'm feeling after ゴルフ, like you said, she's played collegiately, she knows ゴルフ can take a （死傷者）数 on you, whether it's a good or bad day.?

Collin Morikawa of the 部隊d 明言する／公表するs walks with his girlfriend Katherine Zhu during practice for t he DP World 小旅行する 選手権 at Jumeirah ゴルフ 広い地所s on December 09, 2020 in Dubai

Collin Morikawa of the 部隊d 明言する／公表するs celebrates with the Wanamaker トロフィー and girlfriend Katherine Zhu after winning the 2020 PGA 選手権 at TPC Harding Park on August 09, 2020 in San Francisco, California

'So she's on that same swing of if we're playing 井戸／弁護士席 or not 井戸／弁護士席, but, yeah, I'm very lucky to have her. Having someone at dinner makes things a lot nicer than sitting 負かす／撃墜する there at the hotel by myself.'?

Zhu's father, マイク Chu,?卒業生（する）d from Beijing Sport University and was a 支持する／優勝者 tennis player, but while her attention was at first 焦点（を合わせる）d on the same sport, it wasn't long before her attention turned to ゴルフ.

She …に出席するd?Zhuji Hailiang 私的な High School in 中国, before 選ぶing to return to North America to …に出席する Pepperdine University.

によれば ゴルフ 月毎の, Zhu, who 誇るs almost 50,000 信奉者s on Instagram, chose the school for several 推論する／理由s: 'First, I really like Coach Gibbs. I believe all good players have good coaches and I believe Coach Gibbs can help me become a good player.

'Second, Malibu has 広大な／多数の／重要な 天候 条件s, which create a better 環境 for me to practice. Third, Pepperdine is a small school that is strong in both academics and 運動競技のs.'

While she may not やめる at the same level as her other half, Zhu was?in the collegiate team for four years, played as a 分割 one player and earned 多重の WGCA All-American 栄誉（を受ける）s, with an impressive 得点する／非難する／２０ing 普通の／平均（する） of 76.54. She went on to major in International 管理／経営.?

The couple met while Morikawa …に出席するd the University of California in Berkley, and?Zhu was at Pepperdine University.?

During a ビデオ for the PGA 小旅行する last year, the couple opened up about their 関係 and how both 存在 ゴルフ players brought out a 競争の激しい nature in their 関係. Pictured, Zhu in Central Park, New York on June 28

American Morikawa (pictured), 24, has joined Seve Ballesteros, Tiger 支持を得ようと努めるd and Jordan Spieth as the only men to 勝利，勝つ The Open in the last 60 years at such a young age

During a ビデオ for the PGA 小旅行する last year, the couple opened up about their 関係 and how both 存在 ゴルフ players brought out a 競争の激しい nature in their 関係.

'We met in college and just clicked. It's crazy because I won my first college tournament t hat next week and we've done pretty good since - it's really fun,' said Colin.

Zhu, who also plays the flute, went on to 自白する their 関係 is 'very 競争の激しい' when they go out on the ゴルフ course together.

Morikawa continued: 'Always, we never let each other 勝利，勝つ.?I think she （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域s me on probably 70 per cent of our chipping 競争s. It 現実に makes me a better player. What's 広大な／多数の／重要な about her is that we're always competing.

'To have her around [on the PGA 小旅行する] on off weeks when no one's around, she can always bring a wedge to the course and we can always do something fun.'??

However, it's all in good jest because Zhu is often seen on the PGA 小旅行する?caddying for her boyfriend during 競争s.?

'ゴルフ is such a big part of my life,' she 以前 said. 'It's taught me to be strong when things aren't going 井戸／弁護士席. It's taught me to 尊敬（する）・点 others around me.

'Most importantly, ゴルフ has created 適切な時期s that have made lifelong memories that I'll 心にいだく forever. I'm so 感謝する for this amazing game.'?