Tom Kim made the most of another trip to Las Vegas. The Korean golfer has found a lot of comfort when playing at TPC at Summerlin. Kim shot a 20-under par 264 on the weekend to become the fourth player to win the event multiple times.
Scottish golfer Martin Laird, who won in 2009 and 2020, was the last golfer to win twice. Jim Furyk, who has won the event three times, was the only other competitor to win the event in back-to-back years. Furyk, the event’s only three-time winner, won in 1998 and 1999 in addition to his 1995 victory.
The Shriners Children’s Open featured LPGA Tour golfer Lexi Thompson, who missed making the cut by three strokes. With that event done, the PGA Tour will now head to Japan and will feature a large field of golfers, including 16 ranked players, competing for the Zozo Championship.
Zozo Championship Helped Expand PGA Tour’s Reach
The Zozo Championship will be held at the Narshino Country Club in Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. This tournament is the first one ever that was sanctioned by the PGA Tour in Japan. The deal for this event runs until 2025.
Tiger Woods won the first event by shooting a 19-under par in 2019 and finishing three strokes ahead of Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama. The coronavirus pandemic did throw a major wrinkle in the PGA and Japan Tour’s plans. The 2020 event was held at Sherwood Country Club in the United States. The Zozo Championship returned to Narashino in 2021 and has been held there every year since.
Returning Champions Find Way Back
Keegan Bradley won the Zozo Championship by shooting 15-under par last season to earn the $1.98 million purse. Bradley has picked up six PGA Tour victories during his career. The Vermont native also won one major, the 2011 PGA Championship.
Winning at the Zozo had served as a breakthrough for Bradley, who had a tough run since winning his only major in 2011. Bradley credits playing alongside Woods for helping him win at the event in 2019. Woods took his time and walked slower around the course, which is what Bradley tried to emulate.
In 2022, Bradley’s patience resulted in a championship. Bradley has played in the event in all four years of its existence and has finished in the top 15 each time and placed in the top 10 twice.
Matsuyama Gets to Play in Front of Big Crowds
Hideki Matsuyama enjoys having an opportunity to play in front of larger crowds. Returning to his home country to play is a major source of pride for the 2021 Masters Tournament winner. Matsuyama became the first Japanese man to win a major on the PGA Tour and has continued to play well in the prior few years.
Matsuyama has won eight PGA Tour events, with his last win coming in January 2022 at the Sony Open. When Matsuyama won at the Zozo Championship, he also shot a 15-under par and won by five strokes. Matsuyama has been struggling with back issues this year. He hasn’t played since the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Matsuyama played one round at the BMW Championship before pulling out due to his injuries following St. Jude. Despite Matusyama’s injuries, he did find a way to place in the top 10 at two events this season. He finished in a tie for ninth at the Farmers Insurance Open and in fifth place at The Players Championship.
Asian Games Winners Will Look to Make Splash
Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim teamed up to earn the team gold medal at the Asian Games this year. Im also placed second at the individual event. The Korean golfers have both had their fair share of success on the PGA Tour.
Kim has won four events while playing on the PGA Tour, with his last victory coming at the Sony Open in January. Im’s last win was at the Shriners Children’s Open in 2021. Im has collected two career PGA Tour wins.
Former Top Amateur Ready to Go
Japanese native Takumi Kanaya is still looking to make a splash in a PGA Tour event. Kanaya, 25, has yet to win a PGA Tour event, though he has five wins on the Japan Golf Tour. Kanaya has a high pedigree.
He was the No. 1-ranked amateur for 55 weeks. He has made 21 starts in PGA Tour events and played in nine majors. Kanaya qualified for the event by winning the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup. In addition to Kanaya, the top eight available players from the Japan Tour’s money list will compete as well.
Former USC Standout Will Be in Field
Kaito Onishi, a Bradenton, Fla. native, will make his fifth appearance on the PGA Tour. During his time in NCAA competition, Onishi found plenty of success. He was named the PAC 12 Freshman of the Year for South California in 2018.
Onishi struggled through his final few seasons at USC before turning pro in 2021. Onishi has made the cut in two of the four PGA Tour events that he has competed in. He finished 76th at the Zozo Championship in 2022 and placed in a tie for 64th at the 3M Open last July.
Event Will Feature Plenty of Ranked Players
The 78-man field will compete in a no-cut event. Sixteen of the top 50 players in the world will compete in the event. Several players in the field will be making their first appearances since the Ryder Cup. Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, and Nicola Hojgaard will play as well. The purse for the event is $8.5 million in total, while the winner will get $1.53 million.
Fowler led the Zozo Championship after 54 holes last season before fading down the stretch.