Meet PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa’s stunning girlfriend Katherine Zhu who caddies for star and plays herself
COLLIN MORIKAWA has plenty of reasons to celebrate right now after bagging the USPGA Championship.
But he is scoring well off the course as well with his stunning girlfriend supporting him all the way.
And she was there at TPC Harding Park on Sunday afternoon to see her man pick up his first major – in just his second appearance.
Katherine Zhu is not just any ordinary golfer’s partner, though.
She is a player – and a very decent one, too – in her own right, carving out a career for herself and in turn making Morikawa a better player due to their competitive games.
And endless competitions came in handy as he pulled off a pitch-perfect chip on the 14th on Sunday to take the outright lead.
Zhu, 24, spent four years playing at Pepperdine University and earning multiple WGCA All-American honours.
And it was through college golf, with Morikawa at California, that the couple met and hit it off.
Vancouver-born sensation Katherine loves her man and the sport so much she is often spotted on the PGA Tour caddying for him during competitions.
She said: “Golf is such a big part of my life. It’s taught me to be strong when things aren’t going well. It’s taught me to respect others around me.
“Most importantly, golf has created opportunities that have made lifelong memories that I’ll cherish forever. I’m so grateful for this amazing game.”
In a video for the PGA Tour earlier this year, the pair gave a bit of a background to their relationship.
Morikawa said: “We met in college and just clicked. It’s crazy because I won my first college tournament that next week and we’ve done pretty good since – it’s really fun.
Zhu admitted their relationship is “very competitive” when they hit the course together with Morikawa adding: “Always, we never let each other win.
“I think she beats me on probably 70 per cent of our chipping competitions. It actually makes me a better player. What’s great about her is that we’re always competing.
“To have her around [on the PGA Tour] on off weeks when no one’s around, she can always bring a wedge to the course and we can always do something fun.”
Away from golf, Zhu attended high school at Zhuji Hailiang Private High School in China before returning to North America for for her degree in international management.
The golfing power couple started dating in April 2017, with both sharing three-year anniversary posts on Instagram to mark the occasion.
Morikawa posted their first photo together on social media the following month and joked: “Probably not a good idea to take your date to a rooftop when she’s afraid of heights.”
And they don’t mind keeping their blossoming relationship in the public eye, especially with Zhu’s massive following.
The brunette has racked up 27,500 Instagram followers already – but that is set to keep rising, especially as she delights fans with her stunning bikini pics and gorgeous selfies.
And when she is not hitting golf balls or smiling for the camera, judging from her Insta Zhu is spending most of her time either baking treats or looking after dogs after becoming a short-term foster owner this year.
Like any happy couple, Morikawa and Zhu love going on dates.
Whether that be exploring cities where he is playing tournaments, adventuring in the countryside, wining and dining at plush restaurants or, their personal favourite, a day at the beach.
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So while Zhu made the most of the PGA Championship being played in San Fransisco to fit in a trip to the Golden Gate Bridge, she ensured she was back at the course as her boyfriend swept aside the competition to land the title at the first time of asking with a final-round 64.
Coronavirus rules led to a slightly awkward high-five celebration at first before a big hug.
And after Morikawa had dropped the lid off the Wanamaker Trophy, Zhu joined him to pose with it together – and you can bet those photos will be on the gram before long.