Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Author
The FedEx Cup fall schedule is midway over, and there is a lot at stake within the last 4 tournaments for the golfers who’re nonetheless making an attempt to safe their PGA Tour playing cards and taking part in privileges for 2025.
The FedEx Cup fall finalizes the highest 125 golfers who might be eligible for full-field occasions and the Gamers Championship subsequent season, in addition to the ultimate 10 gamers who will qualify for the primary two signature occasions of 2025: the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am and Genesis Invitational.
“For some guys which might be right here this week, I imply, it is a matter of holding their job or not,” mentioned defending Zozo Championship winner Collin Morikawa. “With such a small discipline, it is a possibility for a few of these guys to make an enormous leap as a result of they are going to have the ability to play 4 rounds, they will be getting factors. This can be a massive event.”
There are 5 golfers within the 78-man discipline at this week’s Zozo Championship who’re at present at Nos. 51-60 within the FedEx Cup fall standings: No. 53 Séamus Energy. No. 54 Patrick Rodgers, No. 55 Maverick McNealy, No. 58 Nick Taylor and No. 60 Kevin Yu. They should play effectively.
Among the many gamers who’re making an attempt to climb into the highest 60 who’re taking part in in Japan are Ben Griffin (No. 62), Min Woo Lee (No. 63), Beau Hossler (No. 65), Brendon Todd (No. 66) and Taylor Moore (No. 67). They should play higher.
In regard to the highest 125, Michael Kim (No. 112) and Joe Highsmith (No. 125) climbed on the suitable aspect of the bubble after final week’s Shriners Youngsters’s Open in Las Vegas, whereas Kevin Tway (No. 126) and Joel Dahmen (No. 129) fell out.
Daniel Berger, who’s making an attempt to come back again after a protracted layoff due to a again harm, is 128th in factors. Previous U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland, who recovered from mind surgical procedure in September 2023, is 137th.
Dahmen, who acquired a sponsor exemption to compete within the Zozo Championship, withdrew from the Shriners Youngsters’s Open earlier than the second spherical after he was assessed a four-stroke penalty for having an additional membership in his bag.
Listed here are some storylines to look at on the Zozo Championship, which tees off Thursday at Accordia Golf Narashino Nation Membership in Chiba, Japan.
Homa is rebuilding
Max Homa arrived in Japan trying to find his swing and confidence after enduring a troublesome FedEx Cup marketing campaign. He had simply three top-10 finishes in 21 begins and hasn’t had a top-20 since tying for eighth on the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hole Membership in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Could 12.
“I imply, I performed terribly,” Homa mentioned.
Homa parted methods together with his swing coach, Mark Blackburn, after he completed final within the discipline on the FedEx St. Jude Championship at 11 over.
“I am undoubtedly a little bit rusty,” Homa mentioned. “I took a little bit of day off after the Presidents Cup. I’ve had some assist alongside the best way, but it surely’s been good making an attempt to determine and personal my very own stuff a bit extra. However yeah, the swing feels OK.”
Homa, ranked twenty seventh within the Official World Golf Rating, missed the lower in his earlier begin on the Procore Championship in Napa, California.
“Once more, you possibly can get a little bit rusty once you’re engaged on new stuff, it is not likely essentially the most enjoyable factor on the earth,” Homa mentioned. “At instances, golf can really feel like driving a motorcycle, particularly once you get on a golf course, you are not on the vary, you can begin seeing pictures and really feel what is going on to work effectively.
“This can be a good golf course to do this on as a result of the holes are formed actually properly by the bushes. It is undoubtedly been a chaotic few weeks, particularly the final week preparing for this, however we bought right here Sunday and I used to be blissful to have Monday by Wednesday to get some work in and spend a bunch of time on the course.”
Whereas Homa ranks one hundred and twentieth in pictures gained: complete (-.096) and 161st off the tee (-.414), he did acquire floor in his quick sport this season. He ranks thirty first in pictures gained: across the inexperienced (.232) and twenty eighth in sand saves (60.9%).
“I’m excited for ’25 in that lots of issues I wasn’t significantly good at to begin ’24, I did develop into fairly good at,” Homa mentioned. “So, with one other couple months of labor and having the ability to hone within the issues I did not do effectively previously season, you understand, I nonetheless grew in areas. It simply did not present as a result of I did not drive it effectively this season.”
Tiger’s on their minds
It is nearly the five-year anniversary of Tiger Woods’ final victory. The final of his 82 PGA Tour wins was on the 2019 Zozo Championship, when he beat nationwide hero Hideki Matsuyama by three strokes.
Homa mentioned he’ll always remember the sight of a whole bunch of followers lining the road with Tiger indicators on a day the course was closed to the general public.
“Clearly, Tiger is huge in all places he goes, however the crowds that week have been completely unbelievable,” Homa mentioned. “Tiger is the needle, he makes all of that go.”
Woods is not within the discipline after asserting on Sept. 13 that he had undergone one other surgical procedure on his decrease again to attempt to relieve spasms that plagued him this season. It was the sixth surgical procedure on his decrease again previously 10 years.
The 15-time main champion did not say how lengthy the restoration would take. Woods additionally wasn’t within the preliminary discipline for the Hero World Problem, a event he hosts within the Bahamas on Dec. 5-8. The sector contains 5 of the highest 10 and 17 of the highest 25 within the OWGR, together with world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler. There are three sponsor exemptions remaining for the 20-man discipline, and Woods has used certainly one of them previously.
Schauffele’s homecoming
Solely certainly one of Xander Schauffele’s two main championship trophies made the journey to Japan — the Claret Jug, which he captured by successful The Open by two strokes at Royal Troon Golf Course in Scotland on July 21.
“You possibly can’t put it in a carry-on, I am going to say that a lot,” Schauffele mentioned. “It will be an enormous trunk.”
Schauffele mentioned he could not wait to indicate the well-known trophy to his maternal grandparents, who reside in Japan. His mom, Ping Yi, was born in Taiwan however moved to Japan as a baby.
When Schauffele gained a gold medal in golf on the 2020 Summer season Olympics in Tokyo, which have been delayed a 12 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he needed to depart the bubble on the Olympic Village to have a good time together with his grandparents.
That they had adjoining rooms at a resort close to Narashino Nation Membership.
“I do not get to see them fairly often, so delivering the gold medal to them was actually particular throughout that COVID 12 months,” Schauffele mentioned. “I believe delivering one other win in entrance of them and for them can be much more particular.”
JT’s massive month
Justin Thomas is making his first begin in Japan in 5 years. He’s getting ready for a good larger occasion again residence — the delivery of his first baby. His spouse, Jillian, is anticipating a child woman in November.
“Any golf shot or state of affairs I’m on this week, it is not going to be something near as laborious as it will be in a month or so when our baby comes,” Thomas mentioned. “We’re very lucky with the timing for me having the ability to come right here. I believe actuality will most likely set in after I get residence as a result of will probably be crunch time.
“I do know my spouse’s going to be an unbelievable mother, and I am excited for the chance to boost a little bit woman. It may be nice. However this week I am centered on enterprise and making an attempt to win a golf event. Then it is time to go residence and prepare to be a dad.”
Thomas and his spouse, the previous Jillian Wisniewski, married in November 2022. Thomas has had loads of time to get issues ready. He hasn’t performed since a tie for 14th on the Tour Championship in early September.
“All I do know is I will be as prepared as I probably can and we will take advantage of out of each state of affairs we are able to,” Thomas mentioned. “I can not inform you actually if I am prepared as a result of I’ve by no means carried out it earlier than. I am going to let you understand in a pair months. It is going to be a problem in several methods, however one which we’re excited for.”
