Issued on: 09/28/2021 – 7:36 AM
Tokyo (AFP)
Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama will play at the US PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship in Japan next month, organizers announced on Tuesday, and lead a strong field, including Olympic champions Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa.
Home favorite Matsuyama finished second to Tiger Woods in 2019 in the first edition of the tournament – Japan’s first US PGA Tour event – which was relocated to California because of the coronavirus.
Matsuyama is supported in the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, east of Tokyo, by Tokyo Olympic champion Schauffele and the two-time major winner Morikawa as well as by Tommy Fleetwood and Rickie Fowler in the 78-man field.
The $ 9.95 million Zozo Championship, which will run from October 21 to 24, is the only tournament to survive on this year’s US PGA Asian Swing Tour after the events in China and South Korea Have fallen victim to the pandemic.
“Playing at home is always a pleasure as I compete in the US for most of the year,” said Matsuyama, who became Japan’s first Masters champion in April.
“As the only PGA Tour tournament in Japan, I hope to become the first Japanese golfer to win this event and I will give everything I have to challenge to win.”
The Zozo Championship was launched in 2019 with a roar, with Woods wowing huge crowds.
The 15-time major winner finished three strokes ahead of Matsuyama, Rory McIlroy finished third.
Last year’s winner at Sherwood Country Club, Thousand Oaks, was Patrick Cantlay, who finished one stroke ahead of Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas.
© 2021 AFP