The PGA Tour heads to Japan this week for the ZOZO Championship, the primary of three straight occasions held outdoors america.
It’ll even have the strongest—albeit restricted—subject of any match contested through the PGA Tour Fall, the nine-event schedule that helps decide standing and eligibility thresholds for 2025. Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele will play this week, the primary time doing so since they helped america defeat the Internationals at Royal Montreal. So, too, will Max Homa and Sahith Theegala, two different members of Group USA.
Justin Thomas, who golf followers final noticed on the Tour Championship, will return to Japan for the primary time since 2019. Tiger Woods received the ZOZO that 12 months, clinching his 82nd PGA Tour title, which tied Sam Snead for essentially the most all-time. Woods, in fact, will not be enjoying this week.
However maybe the most important identify this week is Hideki Matsuyama, who has turn into one in every of Japan’s most well-known athletes. He received this occasion three years in the past by 5 photographs however turned in a T-40 and a T-51 in his final two begins on the ZOZO.
Matsuyama has had a powerful 2024 season, highlighted by wins on the Genesis Invitational and the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis. He has seven top-10s general. The 2021 Masters winner did pull out of the BMW Championship in August, citing a decrease again harm, however returned to the Tour Championship in Atlanta the next week. He tied for ninth. He additionally confirmed no indicators of ache eventually month’s Presidents Cup, the final time Matsuyama performed. He received two factors for the Internationals.
Matsuyama, at present the seventh-ranked participant on the earth, ought to lurk towards the highest of the leaderboard if he continues to play with out discomfort. And if he had been to go on to win, it could align with Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers competing within the World Collection—a large second for Japanese sport on the worldwide stage.
Different notables on this week’s subject embody Joel Dahmen, who withdrew from the Shriners Kids’s Open after receiving a 4-shot penalty, Gary Woodland, who simply posted his greatest end since his traumatic mind surgical procedure a 12 months in the past, and Rickie Fowler, a fan-favorite wherever he goes. Min Woo Lee, Matt Kuchar, and Will Zalatoris will even play this week, too.
Since Japan Commonplace Time is 13 hours forward of Jap Daylight Time, first-round protection begins on Golf Channel at 11 p.m. ET on Wednesday night.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of. Be sure you take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.
