The PGA Tour Fall Series continues with the only tournament which the Tour stages in Asia, the Zozo Championship at Narashino Country Club in Inzai, Japan.
The Zozo debuted in 2019, when Tiger Woods won the most recent of his 82 PGA Tour titles, and it's been on the schedule in each subsequent season, although the 2020 edition took place at Sherwood Country Club in the US due to the Covid pandemic.
Xander Schauffele, the world no.2 and winner of the US PGA Championship and the British Open, is the betting favorite ahead of defending champion Collin Morikawa and home hero and 2021 winner Hideki Matsuyama.
- COLLIN MORIKAWA WIN ONLY
- BEAU HOSSLER TO WIN AND EACH-WAY
- GARY WOODLAND TO WIN AND EACH-WAY
Morikawa Poised To Upstage In-Form Rival
Schauffele is the one to beat following the best season of his career, but the dual Major champion may find himself upstaged by Morikawa, who won the 2023 Zozo Championship by six shots and who has been playing well enough to retain the trophy on Sunday.
Narashino is a tight, tree-lined venue typical of Japan and it plays to the strengths of Morikawa, who is both one of the most accurate drivers on the PGA Tour and one of the best iron players in the sport when he's at his very best.
The 27-year-old Californian has not tasted victory since his triumph in Japan last season, but he's been a regular challenger, chalking up five top-four finishes from his last 11 starts including when shooting the lowest 72-hole total at the Tour Championship in his last individual event.
Morikawa, who claimed this title after a similar break last year, went 4-1 in helping the US to win the Presidents Cup and he should be fully motivated to perform in Japan, the birthplace of his father.
COLLIN MORIKAWA WIN ONLY
In-Form Hossler Can Go One Better Than Last Time
The Zozo field lacks depth and, if the big guns fail to sparkle, it could open the door for Beau Hossler to end his wait for a first PGA Tour title.
Hossler was beaten in a Sanderson Farms Championship by Kevin Yu at the start of October but he has responded well over the last fortnight, finishing 11th at the Black Desert Championship and 23rd at the Shriners Children's Open, where he shot back-to-back 66's on the weekend.
The 29-year-0ld was second to Morikawa last season and 16th in the 2022 Zozo on his course debut.
BEAU HOSSLER TO WIN AND EACH-WAY
Woodland To Cash In Following Return To Form
Gary Woodland underwent brain surgery in September 2023 and has understandably needed some time to get back to his best.
However, the 2019 US Open champion has found form in recent weeks, finishing 16th at the Sanderson Farms and ninth at the Shiners.
Those efforts marked Woodland's two best performances since his health scare and he can continue to build on that at Narashino, where he finished fifth in his only previous appearance in 2019, beaten by Woods, Matsuyama, Rory McIlroy and Sungjae Im.
GARY WOODLAND TO WIN AND EACH-WAY
