American Major Winners Headline Strong Field In This Week's Unique FedEx Cup Fall Event

This week's PGA Tour event offers something unique, and some of the world's best players will be teeing it up in Japan

Xander Schauffele takes a shot at the Tour Championship
Xander Schauffele is the highest-ranked player in the field
(Image credit: Getty Images)
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With the exception of the Presidents Cup, many of the world's best golfers have been absent from the PGA Tour since August's Tour Championship.

Some have opted to take a break ahead of another packed schedule in 2025, while others competed in some of the biggest events of the DP World Tour season as the FedEx Cup Fall section of the PGA Tour season got underway.

The first four events of the FedEx Cup Fall saw fields largely dominated by players who hadn't already secured their full PGA Tour cards for next season, with 125th or above in the standings the all-important cut-off by the end of the next month's final tournament, the RSM Classic.

However, this week's FedEx Cup Fall event is a little different from the others. The action takes place in Japan for the only time in the PGA Tour season with the Zozo Championship.

It's not just the location that is unique. The event, which is being held at Narashino Country Club, also has a limited field of just 78 players, while there isn't a cut. Eligibility is also restricted to criteria including the top 60 in the FedEx Cup standings, sponsor exemptions and the best players on the Japan Golf Tour.

Collin Morikawa with trophy after winning the 2023 Zozo Championship

(Image credit: Getty Images)

While that hasn't been enough to tempt some of the world's best players to compete, including World No.1 Scottie Scheffler and four-time Major winner Rory McIllroy, there is still a stronger field than in many recent PGA Tour events.

The defending champion is two-time Major winner Collin Morikawa, who is making his first appearance since helping Team USA win the Presidents Cup. However, even at fourth in the world, he is not the highest-ranked player in the field.

That honor goes to World No.2 Xander Schauffle, who won two of the year's Majors among 15 top-10 finishes so far this year.

The third player in the world's top 10 competing is local star Hideki Matsuyama, who is currently ranked seventh. Matsuyama won the 2021 Zozo Championship a little over six months after victory at The Masters, and, after briefly dropping out of the world's top 50, he has rediscovered his best form this year, including two victories.

Hideki Matsuyama takes a shot during the Tour Championship

Hideki Matsuyama won the 2021 title

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Two-time PGA Champion Justin Thomas is also in the field as he makes his first start since finishing seventh at the Tour Championship, while six-time PGA Tour winners Max Homa and Rickie Fowler, who finished runner-up in 2022, play too.

World No.12 Sahith Theegala is another big name in the field, along with Sungjae Im, who is ranked 10 places beneath him.

Other notable names competing include rising star Min Woo Lee, former World No.7 Will Zalatoris and nine-time PGA Tour winner Matt Kuchar.

Star Players In Zozo Championship Field

  • Xander Schauffele
  • Collin Morikawa
  • Hideki Matsuyama
  • Sahith Theegala
  • Sungjae Im
  • Max Homa
  • Justin Thomas
  • Min Woo Lee
  • Max Greyserman
  • Eric Cole
  • Nick Taylor
  • Si Woo Kim
  • Will Zalatoris
Mike Hall
Mike Hall
News Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.