PGA pro giving back after move to Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Like everyone new to Las Vegas, Collin Morikawa has a story.

His centers around golf and success. Morikawa has been playing ever since he can remember.

"Pretty much when I started walking," he said. "I took my first little camp when I was five."

At 22 years- old, Morikawa is all business.

He played in this weekend's Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin with some of golf's elite.

Morikawa finished 12 under par and tied for 42nd with former UNLV Rebel Adam Scott.

Earlier this year, the former number one ranked amateur in the world earned his first PGA Tour title.

Morikawa was also one of eight rookies to qualify for the playoffs.

"That's what golf's about," he said. "You tweak little things here and there but you have to remember what got you here. You know, what has brought you to this point."

Morikawa is now rubbing shoulders with some of his idols, both on and off the course; guys like Phil Mickelson.

"I was able to play with Phil last week," Morikawa said. "We could talk about anything and that's what's awesome about all these guys."

Morikawa also shares something in common with his fellow golfers: Las Vegas.

Several call the valley home. Morikawa followed suit and moved this past summer.

"Vegas just worked out," he said. "It's been the best thing I've had this entire summer."

But, few things are better than the time he spent teaching golf to some of the patients of Shriners Hospitals.

"The smiles they had never hitting a golf club before and being able to just kind of teach them and let them hit it; they had a blast," Morikawa said. "Hopefully they fell in love. If not, what their stories represented was just everything that Shriners represents for this tournament."