Sep 29, 2024; Ile Bizard, Quebec, CAN; Collin Morikawa of crew U.S.A. strains up his putt on the inexperienced of the primary gap in singles match in the course of the last spherical of The Presidents Cup golf match. Necessary Credit score: Eric Bolte-Imagn Pictures Collin Morikawa gained final yr’s Zozo Championship by six pictures and comes into this yr’s match because the No. 4-ranked participant on this 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, successful’s powerful. It doesn’t matter what it’s, successful is hard. It’s a must to learn to win,” Morikawa advised reporters Wednesday.
“Simply having the ability to win once more and being on high of that leaderboard on the finish of Sunday, that is every part to me. That is such as you look again at a season, I look again at this season, I have not gained. I’ve had a stable yr, however I have not gained. I’ve obtained another alternative at that.”
Though he is aware of it will not be straightforward, Morikawa is wanting ahead to what he says is one in all his favourite tournaments of the yr.
“It is a spot I stay up for yearly. … Everytime you come to a spot that you’ve nice recollections, you attempt to use these to your benefit and hopefully we are able to use numerous them from final yr. There’s numerous good pictures that I hit on the market,” Morikawa stated.
“And it is nice that the course hasn’t modified. The climate seems to be prefer it’s going fairly good for us. 4 stable 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 every part’s wonderful. In the event you’re in place, you can rating,” Homa advised reporters Wednesday.
However Homa is also conscious of the challenges he’ll face on the course.
“It is thick tough, it’s extremely slim, it is form of typical Japanese golf, tree-lined,” he stated. “In the event you’re in a great spot, you have got a superb likelihood to assault, every part’s actually tender. The greens are very advanced, so leaving it beneath the outlet is essential, however it’s powerful to do with how troublesome 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 tender circumstances I think about guys who’re taking part in properly will make fairly a number of 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 a lot of the remainder of the season.
“Yeah, I imply, I performed terribly, however … I’m excited for ’25 in that numerous issues I wasn’t notably good at to begin ’24 I did change into fairly good at. So with one other couple months of labor and having the ability to hone within the issues I did not do properly previously season, you recognize, I nonetheless grew in areas,” Homa stated.
“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, however it does not imply that that is all the time going to be a internet destructive.”
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 somewhat rusty. I took a little bit of time without work 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 possibly can get somewhat rusty once you’re engaged on new stuff…” the six-time PGA tour winner stated.
“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 blissful 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 sphere contains 14 JGTO members.
Morikawa and Homa can be joined by different high gamers like Japanese famous person Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele and others.
–Area Degree Media
