ZOZO Championship 2024 preview: Field, betting odds, tee times, and how to watch

The PGA Tour Fall heads to Japan for the ZOZO Championship.

The PGA Tour Fall Series continues in Japan this week as the sixth edition of the ZOZO Championship will take place at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club.

Clothing brand ZOZO Inc. partnered with the PGA Tour in 2019 for the inaugural edition of the tournament, which is also co-sanctioned with the Japan Tour. Tiger Woods won the maiden edition, just a few months after he claimed his 15^th major title at the Masters. Since then, the roll call of winners includes Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, Hideki Matsuyama, and Keegan Bradley.

“ZOZO, Inc. has been a phenomenal partner to the PGA TOUR over the years and we are extremely excited to continue working with them in welcoming the world’s best players back to Japan again this October.” Said Chris Lee, Senior Vice President of the PGA Tour in June and the tournament represents the last time many of the elite will tee it up before the Hero World Challenge in December.

The top 60 players from the 2024 FedEx Cup Points List will join nine sponsor-exempt golfers, eight players from the Japan Tour, and Hiroshi Iwata, winner of the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup, to create a 78-player field.

Last year, Morikawa won his most recent PGA Tour title at the event, claiming victory over Eric Cole and Beau Hosler by six strokes.

Where is the Zozo Championship held?

Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club will host the event for the fifth time (the 2020 tournament was held in the USA due to the Covid-19 pandemic), the par 70, 7,079-yard course offers a demanding test for the field.

A host of tournaments are played at the course, including the Japan Airline Open, Japan PGA Championship, and the Suntory Open, with the likes of Woods, Gary Player, and Seve Ballesteros all winning at Narashino throughout the years.

There are plenty of birdie opportunities at Narashino, especially considering the highest winning score is the 14-under recorded by Morikawa last year, but it will take a solid performance to reach double digits under par.

With plenty of bunkers, water in play on several holes, and narrow fairways lined with trees, a premium will be placed on accuracy off the tee.

Who is in the field for the Zozo Championship?

Defending champion Morikawa and 2021 winner Masuyama are in the field, while Xander Schauffele will be looking to claim his third victory of the season after winning both the PGA and Open Championships this year.

Justin Thomas is searching for his first win since the 2022 PGA Championship, enduring somewhat of a slump of late. The American does have a decent record at the ZOZO, however, recording a 17^th place finish in 2019 before finishing runner up a year later.

Elsewhere, Max Homa, Sahith Theegala and Will Zalatoris will tee it up in Japan, looking to secure victory in the land of the rising sun.

The full field for the ZOZO Championship can be found here.

What is the format of the Zozo Championship?

The format of the Zozo Championship is a standard strokeplay event played over 72 holes, although there is no cut after 36 holes (two rounds). The player with the lowest score over four rounds will win the tournament.

How much will the winner of the Zozo Championship receive?

The prize fund for the tournament is $8.5m, which makes it the most lucrative event of the entire Fall Series on the PGA Tour. The winner will receive a cheque for $1.53m plus claiming 500 FedEx Cup points also.

Who has won the Zozo Championship?

How to watch the Zozo Championship

Viewers in the UK can watch the tournament on Sky Sports Golf.

All times BST

Thursday, 24 October: Sky Sports Golf, 06.00

Friday, 25 October: Sky Sports Golf, 06.00

Saturday, 26 October: Sky Sports Golf, 06.00

Sunday, 27 October: Sky Sports Golf, 06.00

Viewers in the US can watch all the action via the Golf Channel.

All times EDT

Thursday, 24 October: Golf Channel,23.00

Friday, 25 October: Golf Channel, 23.00

Saturday, 26 October: Golf Channel, 23.00

Sunday, 27 October: Golf Channel, 23.00

Zozo Championship: Tee times and groupings

Tee times and groupings can be found here.

About the Author

Ross Kilvington – Contributing Golf News Writer

Ross Kilvington is a freelance writer from Scotland who currently writes previews for Today’s Golfer, covering events on the DP World, PGA, and LPGA tours along with the LIV Golf Series.

Ross holds a passionate interest in golf and tries to play as often as possible, although having two daughters under the age of 6 means his quest to break 80 will have to wait a little longer.

Despite first picking up a club aged 11, highlights are few and far between on the golf course.

An Eagle on the par-4 16th at Kinghorn is one that stands out (it doesn’t matter that it was only 290 yards).