Sep 29, 2024; Ile Bizard, Quebec, CAN; Collin Morikawa of group U.S.A. strains up his putt on the inexperienced of the primary gap in singles match throughout the ultimate spherical of The Presidents Cup golf event. Obligatory Credit score: Eric Bolte-Imagn Pictures Collin Morikawa received final yr’s Zozo Championship by six photographs and comes into this yr’s event because the No. 4-ranked participant on the planet.
That does not imply Morikawa thinks he’ll run away with the win throughout this week’s occasion at Accordia Golf Narashino Nation Membership in Chiba, Japan.
“Look, profitable’s powerful. It doesn’t matter what it’s, profitable is hard. It’s important to discover ways to win,” Morikawa instructed reporters Wednesday.
“Simply with the ability to win once more and being on prime of that leaderboard on the finish of Sunday, that is the whole lot to me. That is such as you look again at a season, I look again at this season, I have never received. I’ve had a strong yr, however I have never received. I’ve obtained another alternative at that.”
Though he is aware of it will not be straightforward, Morikawa is trying ahead to what he says is considered one of his favourite tournaments of the yr.
“It is a spot I look ahead to yearly. … Everytime you come to a spot that you’ve nice recollections, you try to use these to your benefit and hopefully we will use loads of them from final yr. There’s loads of good photographs that I hit on the market,” Morikawa mentioned.
“And it is nice that the course hasn’t modified. The climate appears to be like prefer it’s going fairly good for us. 4 strong days and hopefully we’re in rivalry once more come Sunday.”
Fellow American Max Homa additionally expressed appreciation for the course.
“It is in nice form. The bunkers and the tough and the whole lot’s wonderful. When you’re in place, you can rating,” Homa instructed reporters Wednesday.
However Homa is also conscious of the challenges he’ll face on the course.
“It is thick tough, it is very slim, it is form of typical Japanese golf, tree-lined,” he mentioned. “When you’re in a great place, you have got an excellent likelihood to assault, the whole lot’s actually smooth. The greens are very complicated, so leaving it beneath the opening is essential, but it surely’s powerful to do with how tough it’s tee to inexperienced at occasions.”
“It is fairly a bit tougher than I remembered. It is a lengthy golf course, however with the smooth circumstances I think about guys who’re taking part in nicely will make fairly just a few birdies from the green.”
Homa is coming into Zozo ranked No. 27 after a difficult yr. After beginning the season robust, even ending tied for third on the Masters in April, Homa struggled many of the remainder of the season.
“Yeah, I imply, I performed terribly, however … I’m excited for ’25 in that loads of issues I wasn’t significantly good at to start out ’24 I did turn out to be fairly good at. So with one other couple months of labor and with the ability to hone within the issues I did not do nicely previously season, you understand, I nonetheless grew in areas,” Homa mentioned.
“I am excited for the issues I’ve gotten higher at and I am simply going to proceed to work on the issues I struggled with final yr. So it was a irritating yr, but it surely doesn’t suggest that that is at all times going to be a web detrimental.”
Forward of the Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal in Quebec in September, he parted methods together with his longtime coach, Mark Blackburn, citing a necessity for a break and to take extra possession of his golf swing.
“I am positively a bit of rusty. I took a little bit of day off after the Presidents Cup … It has been good attempting to determine and personal my very own stuff a bit extra. However yeah, the swing feels OK. Once more, you may get a bit of rusty if you’re engaged on new stuff…” the six-time PGA tour winner mentioned.
“It is positively been a chaotic few weeks, particularly the final week preparing for this, however we obtained right here Sunday, and I used to be pleased to have Monday by Wednesday to get some work in and spent a bunch of time on the course.”
The no-cut occasion is the fifth of eight tournaments on the FedEx Cup Fall schedule, which finalizes the highest 125 gamers who will retain exempt standing for 2025. Nos. 126-150 after the autumn will retain conditional standing.
Gamers who completed Nos. 51-70 within the FedEx Cup have secured their tour playing cards, however are competing for spots within the first two signature occasions after the season-opening The Sentry on Jan. 2-5.
The occasion, which was first performed in 2019, is co-sanctioned with the Japan Golf Tour Group and the sector contains 14 JGTO members.
Morikawa and Homa will probably be joined by different prime gamers like Japanese celebrity Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele and others.
–Area Stage Media
