Tiger Woods praises Collin Morikawa’s stolen equipment: “I love it.”

In an exciting development in the world of golf, Collin Morikawa, one of the brightest talents today, made history by winning the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am title. However, what really caught attention was not just his extraordinary skill on the green, but the intriguing story behind his putter – a piece of equipment that he should not have had in his bag.

Sitting 30 feet from the hole on the challenging par-3 15th hole, Morikawa was tied for the lead. For most, a birdie from that distance seemed impossible; a par would keep him on top. However, he decided to take the risk, and the result was glorious: a birdie that not only gave him the lead but also sealed his victory. What few know is that Morikawa was using a borrowed putter, not his usual one.

The young prodigy revealed to Tiger Woods the reason why the putter was working so well for him: “This putter really feels good because it swings. (It has) a little bit of toe hang, but it’s a mallet. So, it doesn’t open up as much for me on the back. But then it closes.” Morikawa used the TaylorMade Spider Tour X, a mallet putter that features a hosel fixed on the inner edge of the head, allowing for superior control during the swing. The weight distribution keeps the toe in position, preventing excessive opening, something the previous blade could not provide. Woods, always attentive to the nuances of the game, could not help but react: “I love that.”

Thanks to the new putter, Morikawa was able to control his strokes on the green much more efficiently. So far, it is unclear which putter he was using previously, but the last documented one was the TaylorMade TP Soto, a blade putter that, as Morikawa commented, opened up a bit too much for his liking.

But how did Morikawa get this new putter? The story is as intriguing as the victory. The golfer had been experimenting with his equipment and caddy throughout 2025, going through five different caddies and swapping various clubs in his bag. However, the idea of changing the putter had never crossed his mind until he had the opportunity to test Kurt Kitayama’s mallet just days before the WM Phoenix Open 2026. Morikawa confessed, “I think I play a lot with my feeling and my instinct, and unfortunately, that changes a lot. This putter I actually stole from Kurt Kitayama two weeks ago; it’s fitting well, allowing me to flow a bit, but it doesn’t have as much toe hang as the neck takes on just because of the mallet aspect. So, it’s doing what I want.”

The swap happened during a friendly round between Morikawa, Kitayama, and his brother, Daniel, before their trip to TPC Scottsdale. In the end, what seemed like a simple prank turned into a turning point, as Morikawa not only won the $20 million event but also broke a three-year winless streak.

The story of how Collin Morikawa “stole” a putter and turned it into a monumental victory is yet another testament to the fact that in golf, every detail matters, and sometimes a little audacity can lead to great rewards.