Collin Morikawa Makes Lengthy Birdie Putt While Jumping Over Phil Mickelson's Golf Ball: Video

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You never know what you're going to get with links golf, and for Collin Morikawa on Thursday, that included nearly being taken out by Phil Mickelson during the opening round of The Open.

Morikawa, the 2021 Champion Golfer of the Year, got off to a rollercoaster start at Royal Liverpool going bogey-birdie-double on his opening three holes. He followed his double bogey on the third hole with a birdie on the fourth, and what a unique birdie it was.

READ: COLLIN MORIKAWA SETTLES THE OPEN VS. BRITISH OPEN NAME DEBATE WITH SAVAGE ANSWER

Facing a nasty-breaking putt from just off the green, Morikawa, while watching his ball trickle toward the hole, clearly heard a ball land near him. The ball happened to belong to Mickelson, who was playing in the group behind him, and Morikawa was forced to jump over the golf ball as it quickly rolled just in front of him.

Pay attention to the top-left corner of the video to get a look at Morikawa's verticle.

It turns out all Morikawa needed to settle into his round was almost being hit by a Mickelson teeshot. He played his final five holes of the front nine at 1-under.

As for Mickelson, he was able to get up-and-down from the bunker and make birdie on the short Par 4 fourth hole as well.

Mickelson and Morikawa both made the turn on Thursday at 1-over par.

Follow Mark Harris on Twitter @ItIsMarkHarris

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and all other happenings in the world of golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.