Rickie Fowler amongst PGA Tour stars in ZOZO Championship subject3 min read

The PGA Tour has returned to the land of the rising solar.

This week, the ZOZO Championship takes heart stage on the Accordia Golf Narashino Nation Membership in Chiba, Japan, about 30 miles east of Tokyo.

Rickie Fowler will likely be readily available, as will defending champion Keegan Bradley.

“I actually, actually love taking part in within the nation of Japan,” Bradley stated Tuesday.

“I really like the followers, I really like the little cities that we’ve been in a position to discover. They’re so clear, and the meals is so nice. Having the ability to come over right here as an American and win this match is a giant deal. I actually look ahead to coming to Japan. It’s been certainly one of my favourite locations to play.”

Photograph by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Pictures

Bradley gained the 2022 ZOZO Championship by one stroke over Fowler and Andrew Putnam.

Ought to Bradley go on to win this week, he could be the fifth participant this season to defend a title and second in as many weeks. Tom Kim efficiently defended his title eventually week’s Shriners Youngsters’s Open.

However Bradley has not competed professionally since taking part in within the Tour Championship in August, which featured the highest 30 gamers within the FedEx Cup standings.

Of these 30 that teed it up at East Lake, 9 are within the subject this week in Japan: Bradley, Fowler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Adam Schenk, Sungjae Im, Nick Taylor, Emiliano Grillo, and Taylor Moore.

Schauffele, the sixth-ranked participant on the planet, is the highest-ranked participant within the subject.

Different notables embody Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, and fan-favorite Sahith Theegala.

Matsuyama, one of the well-known athletes in his house nation, gained the ZOZO Championship in entrance of his house nation months after his maiden main victory.

The help he obtained in 2021 rivaled the fanfare that surrounded Tiger Woods in 2019 when he gained this match. That was the final time Woods gained an occasion, which marked his 82nd victory on the PGA Tour.

“Plenty of good reminiscences two years in the past with the victory,” Matsuyama stated. “It’s at all times nice to play within the ZOZO Championship.”

Photograph by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Pictures

The Japanese celebrity then famous that the tough is thicker and longer than in years previous, which places a premium on discovering fairways.

Bradley agreed.

“[You] should hit the fairways,” Bradley stated. “It’s only a nice golf course, with small little greens. I really like taking part in this course. You must have loads of creativeness and work the ball into loads of these flags, so it’s an amazing course.”

Fowler, Bradley, and Matsuyama will play collectively for the primary two days, starting their opening rounds at 9:46 p.m. ET or 10:46 a.m. native time.

With Chiba, Japan, sitting 13 hours forward of Jap Commonplace Time, the ZOZO Championship will air late at evening for many American viewers.

Golf Channel will start its protection of the primary spherical starting at 11 p.m. ET on Wednesday. It would conclude at 3 a.m. ET early Thursday.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. You may observe him on Twitter @jack_milko for extra golf protection. Be sure you take a look at @_PlayingThrough too.