Collin Morikawa isn’t the type to allow himself to think too far ahead but even he acknowledged that winning the Zozo Championship in Japan, the country where his father’s side of the family grew up, would hold a special place in his heart.
“There’s obviously a little bit more meaning to this tournament for me, but look, a win’s a win, I’ll take a win anywhere, right?” he said. “I’m doing everything I can the next three days and kind of tonight to make sure I give myself the best opportunity to do that.”
He’s off to a flying start, posting a bogey-free 6-under 64 on Thursday at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in the Chiba Prefecture of Japan. Morikawa, who started on the back nine, raced to three birdies in his first four holes and barely slowed down. He tacked on birdies at Nos. 16 and 17 and one more on his inward nine at the sixth. He drained an uphill 8-foot par putt at his last hole of the day to grab a one-stroke lead over five golfers.
Morikawa has won five times on the PGA Tour, including a pair of majors, at the precocious age of 26. But he’s also winless since the 2021 British Open and is anxious to get back into the winner’s circle. He blew a six-stroke 54-hole lead at the Sentry Championship in January and nearly won the Rocket Mortgage Classic in July, losing in a playoff to Rickie Fowler. In the last two seasons, he’s recorded 14 top-10 finishes, tied with Tommy Fleetwood for the most during that span without a win. Morikawa is making his first start during the FedEx Cup Fall and competing for the first time since the Ryder Cup.
“Taking a few weeks off, you never know what you’re going to get, but I’ve been kind of working on a few things trying to get control of the golf ball, spent a lot of time putting yesterday,” Morikawa said. “It’s nice to kind of see the work I’ve put in, just kind of recreate that on the golf course.”
Here are four more things to know from the first round of the Zozo Championship.
Mikumu Horikawa tees off on the second hole during the first round of the Zozo Championship golf tournament at Sherwood Country Club. (Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)
Seeing the name Mikumu Horikawa on the leaderboard alongside Collin Morikawa had to be confusing for fans. It even threw Horikawa for a loop.
“When he looked at the leaderboard, first he thought he’s in first because the name is very like similar, Morikawa and Horikawa,” an interpreter for Horikawa explained. “So oh, that’s not me. He was like, ‘Oh, I want to catch up him.’ ”
The 30-year-old Horikawa nearly did. He made birdie on two of the first three holes and six in all en route to posting 5-under 65.
Horikawa, who is ranked 267th in the world, is a regular on the Japan Golf Tour and won the Mynavi ABC Championship nearly a year ago and finished T-3 last week at the Japan Open. Asked if he’s famous, his interpreter said, “He said not really, but he wants to become popular after (winning this week).”
Takumi Kanaya (L) of Japan and Eric Cole (R) of the United States shake hands after holing out on the 9th green during the first round of ZOZO Championship at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club on October 19, 2023 in Inzai, Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Yoshimasa Nakano/Getty Images)
Eric Cole has been a birdie machine during his rookie campaign. The 35-year-old Cole entered the week having made a Tour record 517 birdies this season in 35 starts and tacked on another half dozen en route to posting 5-under 65 on Thursday.
Cole rolled in five of the birdies in his first 10 holes and then traded a bogey at No. 4, his 13th hole of the day, with a final birdie at No. 6, his 15th hole.
“The ball-striking’s been good, pretty consistent like day to day, so not a lot of crazy shots or anything like that. It’s been solid. Then the putter’s been good the last, you know, few rounds, so that’s been nice,” he said.
Cole switched back to an old putter on Sunday in Las Vegas and shot a sizzling final-round 9-under 62 to finish T-3 at the Shriners Children’s Open, his fifth top-10 of the season. Cole keeps adding to his resume for Tour Rookie of the Year. He’s also climbed to No. 53 in the world and the top 50 at the end of the year traditionally receive a Masters invite. So, while Cole already has locked up his card for next season and berths in the signature events, he still has a lot to play for during the FedEx Cup Fall and he keeps rolling along.
INZAI, JAPAN – OCTOBER 19: Emiliano Grillo of Argentina hits his tee shot on the 16th hole during the first round of ZOZO Championship at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club on October 19, 2023 in Inzai, Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Yoshimasa Nakano/Getty Images)
In all there are five golfers that shot 5-under 65 on Thursday, including Nicolai Hojgaard.
The 22-year-old Dane, who represented Team Europe in the Ryder Cup, is trying to secure his PGA Tour card for 2024. He has Special Temporary Member status, which allows him to accept unlimited sponsor exemptions throughout the end of FedEx Cup Fall. Hojgaard finished T-56 last week in Las Vegas and should help his cause at this week’s no-cut event. He needs to earn more non-member FedEx Cup points than the 125thfinisher in the standings by the end of the RSM Classic to earn full Tour membership for next season. He’s off to a solid start to making that happen in Japan.
“I was grinding hard out there today to put a score together,” he said. “Rolled the putter nicely, so kept me going.”
Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo, who won earlier this year at the Charles Schwab Challenge, had a share of the lead and a bogey-free round going until he took three putts at the last to finish with bogey.
Robby Shelton, 28, entered the week at 93rd in the FedEx Fall, and a round of 65 was just what the doctor ordered. Shelton said his game’s been “trending in the right direction,” but he had missed two straight cuts and had the weekend off at six of seven and nine of his last 11 starts.
“I hit a few greens early and the putts fell,” said Shelton, who is seeking his first Tour title. “I’ve been trending in the right direction, hadn’t been playing great, but it feels a lot better. Kind of figured some things out this week. Just got to keep my head on straight.”
Hideki Matsuyama of Japan hits his tee shot on the 7th hole during the first round of ZOZO Championship at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club on October 19, 2023 in Inzai, Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Three of the fan favorites have some catching up to do after getting off to sluggish starts in the opening round.
Matsuyama, who is making his first start since withdrawing from the BMW Championship with a back injury in August, was 2-over through 12 holes until he made an eagle at 14 and a birdie at 18 to squeak into red figures with a 69. Matsuyama is a past champion of this event, winning in 2021.
Scott made two birdies and two bogeys and posted an even-par 70.
Fowler, a runner-up in Japan a year ago, didn’t make a birdie until 16 and shot 1-over 71.
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