Rickie Fowler. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele, who have won a combined 18 PGA Tour victories, will headline the 2023 Zozo Championship at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, October 19-22, 2023. Joining the trio will be two of the PGA Tour’s newest young stars, Akshay Bhatia and Min Woo Lee.
“We are thrilled to have Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele headlining the 2023 Zozo Championship,” said Executive Director Travis Steiner. “Joining them is a pair of exciting young talents who will be making their Zozo Championship debuts in Akshay Bhatia and Min Woo Lee. All together, these players will bring a touch of everything from a major champion, the reigning Olympic Gold Medallist and golf stars with captivating playing styles and engaging personalities. Japan fans are in for a fun week of world-class action.”
Fowler, 34, ended a four-year title drought when he captured his sixth PGA Tour title at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in July, beating Morikawa and Adam Hadwin in a playoff at Detroit Golf Club. He also posted seven other top-10s, including a runner-up finish in last year’s Zozo Championship where he was the 54-hole leader before finishing one stroke behind champion, Keegan Bradley. Fowler, whose grandfather is Japanese, has also qualified for this week’s FedExCup Finale, the Tour Championship, for the first time since 2019.
“I’m excited to return to Japan to play in the Zozo Championship again this fall. I’ve been fortunate to enjoy a lot of success this year topped off by my win at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, and looking back, everything started to come together for me around the Zozo Championship in 2022 when I finished one stroke behind Keegan Bradley. I’ve got some unfinished business over there and hope to come away with a win this time,” said Fowler, who will be making his fourth appearance in the Zozo Championship.
Morikawa has played in every edition of the Zozo Championship since its inauguration in 2019, with a T7 in 2021 being his best finish. The 26-year-old is a two-time major champion following memorable victories in the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 Open Championship, in addition to three other PGA Tour wins. In the 2022-23 Season, Morikawa finished runner-up at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and Rocket Mortgage Classic, while he also came in third in the Farmers Insurance Open.
“The Zozo Championship has become the highlight of my fall schedule and the memories I have made over the years make me come back for more. From the world-famous Japanese hospitality to the tournament venue at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, and of course the amazing food, this event is one of the tournaments I look forward to the most every year. This time, I’d love to come home with a little extra hardware which would make the trip that much more special,” said Morikawa, who is of Japanese descent.
Xander Schauffele. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Seven-time Tour winner and official 2023 Ryder Cup team member after his T8 finish at BMW Championship, Schauffele, has registered 10 top-10s this season, including a runner-up finish at the Wells Fargo Championship and a joint third at The American Express. Like Morikawa, the Tokyo Olympics gold medal winner has played in every Zozo Championship and finished T9 last year and T10 in the first edition.
“Japan is a special place to me, both professionally and personally and every year I have the Zozo Championship week circled on my calendar. I’d love nothing more than to get a win for all the family I have over there and in front of the amazing Japanese fans. Securing a win in what I consider as my second home will be the perfect way to cap off the year,” said the 29-year-old Schauffele, whose maternal grandparents live in Japan.
Zozo Championship fans will have the opportunity to watch rising stars, Akshay Bhatia and Min Woo Lee, for the first time following confirmation the talented duo will tee up at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club. Bhatia, 21, claimed his maiden PGA Tour title at the Barracuda Championship in July after accepting Special Temporary Membership following a runner-up finish at the Puerto Rico Open in March. The left-hander turned professional at age 17 and has also won once on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2022.
Lee, 25, is a two-time DP World Tour winner from Australia and has produced some sparkling performances on the PGA Tour this year, including a T6 at The Players Championship, T9 at the Travelers Championship and T5 at the U.S. Open, which was his first top-10 in a major championship. He earned Special Temporary Membership following the conclusion of the PGA Championship in May.
Bhatia said, “Japan is one of those leading golf countries that everybody talks about visiting and I’m very excited to receive an invitation to play in the Zozo Championship. I’ve heard so much about the amazing and knowledgeable fans and the list of Zozo champions is absolutely incredible. Getting there this October will be a highlight to what has already been a life-changing year for me on the PGA Tour.”
Lee said, “Having officially attained my PGA Tour status and gaining a start at the Zozo Championship is a dream come true for me. I’m looking forward to my Zozo debut, playing on what looks like a challenging golf course and also eating a variety of Japanese foods and cuisines over there.”
The Zozo Championship will showcase a 78-man field which will compete over four rounds with no cut. As Japan’s only official PGA Tour tournament, the Zozo Championship was successfully launched at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in 2019 when Tiger Woods claimed the inaugural title with a three-shot victory over Hideki Matsuyama en route to equalling Sam Snead’s record 82 PGA Tour victories. Patrick Cantlay won the 2020 edition when it was played at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California while Matsuyama produced a popular home victory in 2021 when the event returned to Japan. Keegan Bradley was triumphant in 2022.
The 2023 Zozo Championship will feature 60 players from the FedExCup points list, and players designated by the Japan Golf Tour Organization, including the winner of the 2023 BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup (Takumi Kanaya) and sponsor exemptions.
The winner of the Zozo Championship will earn 500 FedExCup points while the event will be co-sanctioned once again with the Japan Golf Tour Organization. As part of PGA Tour Fall, the Zozo Championship offers players the opportunity to secure their PGA Tour status and earn additional playing opportunities for the 2024 season. Winners of each Fall event will receive a two-year PGA Tour exemption, entry into the season-opening The Sentry and The Players Championship, plus qualify for majors where PGA Tour victories count as eligibility status.
Tickets for the 2023 Zozo Championship, the PGA Tour’s premier event in Japan, go on sale from today, August 22, at 12 p.m. JST. Details on pricing and purchasing tickets are available on https://zozochampionship.com/en/.
