With the exception of the Presidents Cup, many of the world’s best golfers have been absent from the PGA Tour since August’s Tour Championship.
Some have opted to take a break ahead of another packed schedule in 2025, while others competed in some of the biggest events of the DP World Tour season as the FedEx Cup Fall section of the PGA Tour season got underway.
The first four events of the FedEx Cup Fall saw fields largely dominated by players who hadn’t already secured their full PGA Tour cards for next season, with 125th or above in the standings the all-important cut-off by the end of the next month’s final tournament, the RSM Classic.
However, this week’s FedEx Cup Fall event is a little different from the others. The action takes place in Japan for the only time in the PGA Tour season with the Zozo Championship.
It’s not just the location that is unique. The event, which is being held at Narashino Country Club, also has a limited field of just 78 players, while there isn’t a cut. Eligibility is also restricted to criteria including the top 60 in the FedEx Cup standings, sponsor exemptions and the best players on the Japan Golf Tour.
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While that hasn’t been enough to tempt some of the world’s best players to compete, including World No.1 Scottie Scheffler and four-time Major winner Rory McIllroy, there is still a stronger field than in many recent PGA Tour events.
The defending champion is two-time Major winner Collin Morikawa, who is making his first appearance since helping Team USA win the Presidents Cup. However, even at fourth in the world, he is not the highest-ranked player in the field.
That honor goes to World No.2 Xander Schauffle, who won two of the year’s Majors among 15 top-10 finishes so far this year.
The third player in the world’s top 10 competing is local star Hideki Matsuyama, who is currently ranked seventh. Matsuyama won the 2021 Zozo Championship a little over six months after victory at The Masters, and, after briefly dropping out of the world’s top 50, he has rediscovered his best form this year, including two victories.
Hideki Matsuyama won the 2021 title
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Two-time PGA Champion Justin Thomas is also in the field as he makes his first start since finishing seventh at the Tour Championship, while…
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