Welcome Return to Home Soil for Matsuyama

Chiba, Japan: Hideki Matsuyama will defend his ZOZO Championship title at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club next month.

Among those joining Matsuyama in the starting line-up on October 13 are fellow-Japanese Satoshi Kodaira, Presidents Cup US Team star Cameron Young and Norway’s Viktor Hovland.

In his bid to become the first player to successfully defend his title at Japan’s lone PGA Tour event, Matsuyama will also contend against nine of his Presidents Cup International team-mates, including the Korean quartet of Im Sung-jae, Kim Si-woo, KH Lee and Tom Kim Joo-hyung.

This latest wave of big names to sign up for the US$11 million showpiece includes the full list of top-60 automatic PGA Tour qualifiers and ensures another week of world-class golf. Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Xander Schauffele, two-time Major winner Collin Morikawa, five-time Tour winner Rickie Fowler, three-time Tour winner Cameron Champ and European Ryder Cup star Tommy Fleetwood were previously announced.

Schauffele and Morikawa also featured in last week’s Presidents Cup alongside Young for the US Team which defeated the International Team 17.5 – 12.5 at Quail Hollow Club.

“It’s always very special when Hideki Matsuyama returns home to compete in front of Japanese fans. As our defending champion, he will undoubtedly draw a lot of attention and support from the home crowd which will be amazing for the ZOZO Championship,” said Travis Steiner, the event’s Executive Director.

Matsuyama, 30, captured his seventh career PGA Tour title by five strokes at the 2021 ZOZO Championship at Narashino when the event returned to its intended host country of Japan after being played in the US in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Just three months later, Matsuyama carried the momentum into his second win of the season, and eighth career Tour title, at the Sony Open in Hawaii, equalling the record for most wins by an Asian golfer.

The batch of victories came on the heels of his historic 2021 Masters title where he became the first Japanese golfer to win at Augusta National. Currently 18th in the Official World Golf Ranking, Matsuyama finished runner-up to Tiger Woods at the inaugural ZOZO Championship in 2019 and tied for 28th at Sherwood Country Club in 2020. He also made his fifth consecutive appearance in the Presidents Cup last week.

“I am pleased I will be participating in the ZOZO Championship again this year and am very happy to be able to compete as the defending champion in the only PGA Tour tournament held in Japan,” said Matsuyama, a two-time winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. “I will do my best to play well for all the golf fans who have always supported me.”

Young, 25, has emerged as one of the most exciting talents on the PGA Tour following five runner-up finishes in the 2021-22 season, including at the Open Championship at St Andrews. The 2021 Korn Ferry Tour graduate also finished third at the PGA Championship at Southern Hills and 19th at the Tour Championship. The world number 17 will be making his ZOZO Championship debut.

“The ZOZO Championship is one of those tournaments the guys speak very highly about and I’m looking forward to seeing the legendary Japanese crowds in person and experiencing the culture there,” said Young, who earned 1.5 points in his Presidents Cup debut.

“It’ll be my first time visiting Japan and I have heard nothing but good things about the country and how the fans embrace the game of golf over there. I’m also coming off a fantastic rookie year and would love nothing more than to come away with my first PGA Tour win at the ZOZO Championship to kick off the new season.”

Hovland, the world number 11, finished 15th in the 2021-22 FedExCup final standings after securing a career third PGA Tour victory at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba and four other top-10s, including a tied fourth at the Open Championship, his first career top-10 in a Major.

The 25-year-old was also victorious in the Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour earlier in the year and was a member of the European Ryder Cup team in 2021. This will be his third appearance in the ZOZO Championship.　

Alongside Matsuyama, fellow countryman and PGA Tour winner Kodaira will also join the field. He said: “I’m very grateful to receive an exemption into the ZOZO Championship and would like to thank all those who are involved in making this tournament possible.

“I invite the Japanese fans to come out and experience the amazing play of the PGA Tour professionals in-person. I’ll do my best to prepare for the tournament and would love nothing more than to have a chance to win at the end of the week.”

Additional International Team Presidents Cup members who will head to Japan to compete for the ZOZO Championship include Chilean Mito Pereira, Colombian Sebastián Muñoz, South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Canadian Corey Conners and Australian Cam Davis.

Co-sanctioned with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO), the ZOZO Championship will showcase a 78-man field competing over four rounds with no cut.

It will include the leading players from the 2021-2022 FedExCup Play-offs Points List, players designated by the JGTO, the winner of the 2022 BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup on the Japan Golf Tour and sponsor exemptions.

As in previous years, part of the tournament’s proceeds will be donated to charitable causes.