American Major Winners Headline Strong Field In This Week's Unique FedEx Cup Fall Event
This week's PGA Tour event offers something unique, and some of the world's best players will be teeing it up in Japan
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.
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.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
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.
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 six-time PGA Tour winners Max Homa and Rickie Fowler, who finished runner-up in 2022, play too.
World No.12 Sahith Theegala is another big name in the field, along with Sungjae Im, who is ranked 10 places beneath him.
Other notable names competing include rising star Min Woo Lee, former World No.7 Will Zalatoris and nine-time PGA Tour winner Matt Kuchar.
Star Players In Zozo Championship Field
- Xander Schauffele
- Collin Morikawa
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Sahith Theegala
- Sungjae Im
- Max Homa
- Justin Thomas
- Min Woo Lee
- Max Greyserman
- Eric Cole
- Nick Taylor
- Si Woo Kim
- Will Zalatoris
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
-
New Junior Golf Tour Set To Be Launched By PING
The golf brand will launch a new junior golf tour in 2025 which is set to feature a rookie level and a masters level
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Bubba Watson To Make International Series Debut Following Tough LIV Golf Season
The two-time Masters champion will compete against rival LIV golfers and the leading Asian Tour players at the BNI Indonesian Masters later this month
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
JT Poston Holds Off Late Doug Ghim Challenge To Claim Third PGA Tour Title At Shriners Children’s Open
The American beat Doug Ghim by one shot at TPC Summerlin as he claimed his first PGA Tour victory since the 2022 John Deere Classic
By Mike Hall Published
-
PGA Tour University Frontrunners Grouped Together At College Golf Event
Brendan Valdes, David Ford and Jose Luis Ballester were grouped together for the first round of the Williams Cup as the battle for a PGA Tour card intensifies
By Mike Hall Published
-
'It Depends On Who It Is' - Wyndham Clark Calls For Certain LIV Players To Return To PGA Tour
Speaking on the No Laying Up podcast, the former US Open winner claimed that those who have 'won Majors and are most likely hall of famers' should be welcomed back to the circuit, despite leaving for LIV Golf
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Shriners Children's Open Final Round Tee Times
JT Poston takes a three-shot lead over Doug Ghim into the final round at TPC Summerlin - here are the tee times
By Mike Hall Published
-
'I Have Watched The First Swing In This Video 50 Times' - Max Homa Reacts To Angel Hidalgo's Crazy Golf Swings
A video of Angel Hidalgo's swings have been causing reaction on social media, with even multiple-time PGA Tour winner, Max Homa, reacting to them!
By Matt Cradock Published
-
PGA Tour Pro Five-Putts At Shriners Children's Open As Wind Causes Chaos
After a lengthy delay, due to 50mph winds, the Shriners Children's Open saw chaos, with one example being Joseph Bramlett who five-putted from 10-feet
By Matt Cradock Published
-
14 Big Names From LIV Golf And PGA Tour On Surprisingly Long Win Droughts
There are 14 big names, multiple Major champions and former World No.1s from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf who are stuck in surprisingly long winning droughts
By Paul Higham Published
-
Have Golf Fans Clocked Off For The Season? Worrying PGA Tour Ratings Show Substantial Drop-Off
Prior to the new NFL season kicking off, PGA Tour Sundays were averaging in the millions for TV viewing figures - that is no longer the case, far from it...
By Jonny Leighfield Published