Even the best golfers in the world can sometimes allow a string of bad days on the course to follow them home — just ask Collin Morikawa. 

In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Morikawa, 28, admitted it can be “very hard” to focus on anything other than the sport when things aren’t working out. 

“Golf is a big part of my life and who I am,” Morikawa said. “When it’s going great, it’s very easy to be able to separate yourself. But when it’s not going as well, your mind is constantly thinking about golf. ‘How do I keep getting better?’ Because that’s the chase. That’s what we’re all trying to accomplish: getting better every single day. ‘How do we keep improving? What do I need to do in order to give myself a chance to win on Sunday?’ It’s just a never-ending cycle.”

Morikawa, a two-time major champion on the PGA TOUR, argued that golfers are forced to be a different level of “mentally strong” than athletes in other sports.

“It takes a toll out of you,” he said. “I don’t think people realize the stress it puts on our bodies that we go through every single day. We are trying to perfect this game, essentially, that we can’t perfect. We can’t go 4-for-4 with five RBIs and two home runs. No one is going to have 18 birdies in a round. There’s always going to be struggles that you have to maintain and balance. That’s a big part that I think people have a misconception about.”

Morikawa said he’s learned to find equilibrium with his professional pursuits and his personal life through “time management.”

“As anyone successful in a job, you have to be really, really good with your time,” he explained. “You’re able to get a lot done if you put your mind to it in a short period. That’s the most important thing.”

Morikawa also credited his wife, Katherine — a marathon runner and former golfer who he married in November 2022 — with being a vital asset to his mental health. 

“I wouldn’t say it’s a necessity for everyone, but it’s a necessity for me,” Morikawa said about his marriage. “I’m so proud of her. I think the motivation she gives me with what she does with her running, it pushes me every day to get better. She played golf in college and stopped playing after a year of playing pro, and was able to travel with me.”

Morikawa continued, “It’s lucky to have your best friend by your side and be able to go out and enjoy life, travel the world, see new places and do what I love. I’m very thankful that she’s given up a lot of her things that she loved to do and allow a lot of her time to come out on this journey.”

At the moment, Morikawa is in the hunt at the FedExCup Playoffs, which continue this weekend from Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland. 

Watch Morikawa and the top 50 golfers on the PGA TOUR tee off at the BMW Championship, Thursday, August 14 through Sunday, August 17 on NBC, Golf Channel, Peacock and ESPN+.