The FedEx Cup Fall continues with the ZOZO Championship in Japan and the PGA TOUR's Mike Glasscott has six tips across three markets.
The local legend is the only player to hit the podium twice. Posting 16-under-par, he finished second to Woods in 2019. Returning to Japan for the 2021 edition, his total of 15-under-par was good enough for a victory.
Making two eagles en route to victory in 2021, he is the only champion to put two double circles on the card.
The 2021 Masters champion has two wins on the ledger in 2024 already.
Beau Hossler will be boom or bust this week, but without a cut, I’ll gamble.
Losing a playoff at the Sanderson Farms Championship, he added T11 and T23 and is playing for the fourth week in a row.
Never signing for a round above 70 in eight career loops, I’m on board.
Will Zalatoris has also been riding the roller coaster following back surgery. Some days are better than others, including T13 at the BMW Championship and T12 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship the week before.
Well rested, I don’t think he would have made the trip if he was “iffy”.
Doug Ghim is riding high after a career-best solo second in Las Vegas last week. The ball-striker makes his money from tee to green and that’s the formula this week.
Last year, four Japanese players cashed in the top 12, led by Ryo Ishikawa at T4. Kensei Hirata, a 23-year-old, six-time winner in Asia, finished one shot further back on T6 with 22-year-old Ryo Hisatsune.
Sponsor’s exemption Satoshi Kodaira, the 2018 winner at the RBC Heritage over Si Woo Kim, cashed T12, his second consecutive season inside T16.
Xander Schauffele (9/2): The Number Two player in the Official World Golf Rankings headlines the field of 78. The winner of both the PGA and The Open in 2024, Schauffele will look to add to his collection. A record of 4-1 in the Presidents Cup, plus five consecutive finishes on TOUR in the top 10 makes him the man to beat.
Collin Morikawa (7/1): The previous time the two-time major champion was in the winner’s circle was last year at Narashino Country Club. Nobody made more birdies (24) and only one player had fewer putts. The last time he played his own ball, he won the GROSS division at the TOUR Championship in late August.
Sungjae Im (12/1): The Korean won in his native land in April for the second time in two years and racked up eight top-10 paydays on TOUR. Cashing T3 on debut in 2019, he’s added T12 and T29 in the last two years.
Sahith Theegala (16/1): Making his third start in Japan, the 2023 Procore Championship winner has already cashed T19 and T5 in two previous visits. Steady throughout the bag, the 26-year-old sits ninth in SG: Total.
Justin Thomas (20/1): The ebbs and flows of 2024 find the two-time PGA Championship winner on a run of five straight without a top-10 payday. Making his first appearance since the inaugural event, he has had plenty of big finishes in the Pacific Rim during his career.
Kurt Kitayama (25/1): Ranking 11th in SG: Tee to Green and ninth in SG: Approach, finding fairways and greens won’t hurt this week.
Eric Cole (45/1) showed great putters can also contend outside Tokyo. The birdie machine cashed T2 on debut in 2023.
Gary Woodland (50/1) has persevered after brain surgery and continues to stack rounds together. I am not a fan of his number, but I am following his progress.
Par | 70 |
Length | 7,079 yards |
Fairways | Zoysia |
Rough | Zoysia |
Greens | Bentgrass |
Holes with water in play | 4 |
Designer | Kinya Fujita |
The composite course, made of up holes from the Kings and Queens nines, was designed by Japanese legend Kinya Fujita and opened in 1965.
The 34-36 Par-70 layout stretches to 7,079 yards for the third consecutive season.
The front nine consists of three of the five Par-3 holes and just one of the three Par-5 chances.
With 10 Par-4 chances on the card, exactly half will stretch 480 yards or longer. The Par-5 holes stretch 587 and 605 yards before closing with 562 yards on No. 18. Only quality shots are rewarded.
The Par-3 holes feature one challenge over 183 yards and present scoring opportunities.
Rough approaching four inches and greens running upwards of 12 feet will mitigate scoring opportunities.
There have only been 24 tournament totals posted in double figures in four events. Morikawa, on 14-under in 2023, was the only one last year.