A limited field will pack a mighty punch this week at the 2024 Zozo Championship. Traveling to Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan, for the fifth time in tournament history, the PGA Tour welcomes 78 players to the land of the rising sun for what will be the fifth event of the FedEx Cup Fall.
Unlike the four prior tournaments, the Zozo Championship will feature a number of big names. Two-time major champion Xander Schauffele headlines the field and makes his first start since the Presidents Cup. Winning Olympic gold in Japan in 2021, Schauffele will hope the good vibes of that triumph carry over to this week.
He is joined in the field by a couple other past champions and Presidents Cup participants in defending champion Collin Morikawa and 2021 winner Hideki Matsuyama. Sahith Theegala, Sungjae Im, Min Woo Lee, Max Homa and Si Woo Kim round out the Presidents Cup crew expected to play for the first time since the biennial event at Royal Montreal.
While the stars will be out, players seeking to solidify their place inside the Aon Next 10 -- Nos. 51-60 in the FedEx Cup -- as well as the top 125 that secures full-time status on the PGA Tour will also tee it up. Gary Woodland, fresh off his first top 10 since undergoing brain surgery, looks to continue his move towards the top 125. Rickie Fowler, who has nabbed back-to-back top-25 finishes in his two starts this fall, is also looking to remain hot.
Will Zalatoris makes his first start since the BMW Championship, while Justin Thomas makes his first start at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club. Kurt Kitayama, Beau Hossler and Doug Ghim are among those who have fared well so far this FedEx Cup Fall and aim to keep a good thing going at the PGA Tour's annual stop in Japan.
2024 Zozo Championship schedule
Dates: Oct. 24-27
Location: Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club — Chiba, Japan
Par: 70 | Yardage: 7,079
Purse: $8,500,000
2024 Zozo Championship field, odds
Golf betting odds below provided via DraftKings Sportsbook. Check out the latest DraftKings promo to get in the game.
- Xander Schauffele (4-1): The world No. 2 hasn't finished outside the top 15 in an individual tournament since the week following the Masters. That was over six months ago now as Schauffele's high floor has been met with an incredibly high ceiling. Without a weakness in his game, he is always a threat to enter the winner's circle, although Accordia National has been somewhat of a difficult riddle for him to solve with his best finish coming in the form of a T9 in 2022.
- Collin Morikawa (7-1)
- Hideki Matsuyama (8-1): Despite a very strong 2024, Matsuyama remains a bit of an enigma. Since his bronze medal performance at the Olympics, the man from Japan has won the St. Jude Championship, withdrawn from the BMW Championship and underperformed at the Presidents Cup. He should thrive on a golf course that requires a hefty diet of greens in regulation, but he's been an afterthought in this tournament since his win in 2021.
- Sungjae Im (14-1)
- Sahith Theegala (16-1): It's been over a year since Theegala claimed his first win on the PGA Tour, and everything suggests that skid will come to an end soon. He arrives having finished inside the top 10 at the Procore Championship and with a solid run of form in this tournament. While his Presidents Cup debut was underwhelming, the free-wheeling right hander should jump right back on the horse this week at a golf course where he has finishes of T5 and T19 in two trips.
- Justin Thomas (18-1): After missing the postseason in 2023, Thomas bounced back and finished 14th in the FedEx Cup standings in 2024. He makes his second trip to Japan for the Zozo Championship this week having not played since the Tour Championship, where he was terrific from tee to green but disappointing with the putter in hand. The story of his year, this combination may prove fruitful when looking at the list of past champions that includes Morikawa, Matsuyama and Keegan Bradley.
- Min Woo Lee (30-1): The fun-loving Australian arrives having just notched a top-10 finish on the Asian Tour in what was a title defense in Macau. In solid enough form, Lee's week will be predicated on his iron play, which has flashed both brilliance and inconsistencies throughout his tenure on the PGA Tour. The good news for the 26-year-old is he finished T6 in his tournament debut last season thanks to a final-round 65.
- Beau Hossler (30-1)
- Si Woo Kim (35-1)
- Will Zalatoris (35-1)
2024 Zozo Championship expert picks
| Winner (7-1): Don't let Morikawa's lack of wins since his victory at this tournament a season ago distract you from how good he has been. A contender in the first two majors of the year, the two-time major champion went on to perform beautifully down the stretch of the season only to finish runner-up to Scottie Scheffler at both the Memorial and Tour Championship. Most recently starring on the U.S. Presidents Cup team, Morikawa has shown his make up of fairways and greens is conducive for success at the Zozo Championship. | |
| Contender (35-1): While Kitayama fell short in the final group of the Shriners Children's Open, his game remains on the upward trajectory. Finishing second in strokes gained tee to green at the Black Desert Championship, Kitayama topped the field a week later in the same category at TPC Summerlin. He tends to struggle in low-scoring conditions, but in this tournament where the winning score should hover around 15 under, Kitayama can threaten. | |
| Sleeper (80-1): Is Fowler ... back? In two starts during the FedEx Cup Fall, Fowler has notched two top-25 finishes with his latest being buoyed by a surprisingly cooperative driver. If he carries that type of form with the big stick to Japan, the 35-year-old could surprise like he did in 2022 when he finished runner-up to Bradley. | |
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