Collin Morikawa Shuts Down LIV Golf Rumors, Pledges Allegiance To PGA Tour

Golf fans awoke to news Tuesday that Brooks Koepka was the latest big name to defect from the PGA Tour to the upstart LIV Golf Invitational Series.

What then followed, was rumor and innuendo that another big name -- Collin Morikawa -- was on his way to joining the Saudi Arabia-backed league. As it would turn out, that's all it was -- rumor and innuendo.

The No. 4 ranked player in the world isn't going anywhere.

“I said the media loves creating drama,” Morikawa wrote, via Twitter. “Sure enough, I woke up this morning to everyone thinking I’m next. Not to say I told you so but …I told you so. “To state for the record, once again, you all are absolutely wrong. I’ve said it since February at Riviera that I’m here to stay on the PGA Tour and nothing has changed.”

"Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some cereal to pour in my milk."

Ok, first, pouring milk before the cereal is a crime and should be promptly dealt with. Thanks to Justin Thomas for acknowledging that.

But second of all, Morikawa's words are music to the ears of PGA Tour fans and commissioner Jay Monahan, who will hold a press conference at 1 p.m. ET Wednesday in Connecticut at the Traveler's Championship. The PGA Tour held a mandatory meeting Tuesday morning amid more announcements of players heading to LIV Golf.

Morikawa, 25, would have been the highest-ranking player to leave and the biggest loss to the PGA Tour. A two-time Major champion (2020 PGA, 2021 Open), Morikawa finished fifth at the U.S. Open this past weekend.

Morikawa is a five-time winner on the PGA Tour and made his first 22 consecutive cuts as a pro, the second longest streak in the last 30 years (Tiger Woods, 25).

More players, however, are expected to announce their intentions of joining LIV Golf in the coming days, which holds its second event June 30-July 2 in Portland, Oregon, at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club.