PGA Tour returns to Japan, LIV Golf heads to Saudi Arabia

Updated Oct. 11, 2022 12:25 p.m. ET

Associated Press

PGA TOUR

ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Chiba, Japan.

Course: Accordia Golf Narashino CC. Yardage: 7,041. Par: 70.

Prize money: $11 million. Winner's share: $1,980,000.

Television: Wednesday-Thursday, 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. (Golf Channel); Friday, 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Hideki Matsuyama.

FedEx Cup leader: Max Homa.

Last week: Tom Kim won the Shriners Children's Open.

Notes: The Zozo Championship is back home in Japan for the second straight year after the COVID-19 pandemic. For the second straight year, it's the only PGA Tour event held in Asia. ... The field includes seven of the top 20 in the world, lead by former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama and Xander Schauffele, at No. 6 the highest-ranked player. Schauffele's mother was raised in Japan. ... The lone Japanese player in the LIV Golf event this week, Hideto Tanihara, was not eligible for the Zozo. ... The Japan Golf Tour co-sanctions the event. Two of the sponsor exemptions went to Takumi Kanaya and Keita Nakajima, both former No. 1 in the amateur world ranking. ... Rickie Fowler received a sponsor exemption. He tied for sixth in the season opener, but then missed the cut in Las Vegas. ... Cameron Young, who reached No. 17 in the world as a rookie without winning a tournament, makes his first start of the new season.

Next week: CJ Cup in South Carolina.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/

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LIV GOLF

LIV GOLF INVITATIONAL-JEDDAH

Site: King Adbullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia.

Course: Royal Greens Golf & CC. Yardage: 7,010. Par: 72.

Prize money: $25 million ($20 million individual. Winner’s share: $4 million).

Television: LivGolf.com

Money leader: Dustin Johnson.

Last week: Eugenio Chacarra won the LIV Golf Invitational-Bangkok.

Notes: This is the seventh and final LIV Golf Invitational event for individual and team play. The final event is strictly about teams. ... Six players have won the six LIV Golf Invitational series — Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Henrik Stenson, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith and Eugenio Chacarra. ... Johnson leads the money list with just over $12.7 million and has clinched the points title for the $18 million bonus. ... LIV Golf is funded by the Saudi Arabia sovereign wealth fund, but this is the first tournament held in Saudi Arabia. ... The field includes 27 players who were at the Saudi International in February, including winner Harold Varner III. ... Hudson Swafford has made $860,000, the least of players who have competed in all six of the LIV Golf Invitational series. ... Johnson's streak of being in the top 10 at every LIV Golf event ended in Bangkok when he tied for 15th.

Next tournament: LIV Golf Invitational-Miami Team Championship on Oct. 27-30.

Online: https://www.livgolf.com/

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EUROPEAN TOUR

ESTRELLA DAMN ANDALUCIA MASTERS

Site: Sotogrande, Spain.

Course: Real Club Valderrama. Yardage: 7,028. Par: 71.

Prize money: 3 million euros. Winner's share: 500,000 euros.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to noon (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Matt Fitzpatrick.

DP World Tour points leader: Rory McIlroy.

Last week: Jon Rahm won the Spanish Open.

Notes: U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, the defending champion, leads the field and at No. 10 is the highest-ranked player. ... Ryan Fox of New Zealand is coming off a win two weeks ago in the Aflred Dunhill Links Championship that moved him into the top 25 in the world. ... While the tournament only dates to 2010, there is a long European tour history at Valderrama. It's where the season-ending Volvo Masters used to be held, along with the Ryder Cup in 1997 with Seve Ballesteros as the captain. The club also hosted a World Golf Championship twice. ... Sergio Garcia won the Andalucia Masters three straight times. He is playing the LIV Golf Invitational in Saudi Arabian this week. ... The tournament was not played from 2012 through 2016. ... Along with cork trees in some fairways, there are a few vistas of the Rock of Gilbraltar from the course. ... Two Europeans with PGA Tour cards, Thomas Detry and Matti Schmid, are playing in Spain. They are not eligible for the Zozo Championship.

Next week: Mallorca Open.

Online: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/

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PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

SAS CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Cary, North Carolina.

Course: Prestonwood CC. Yardage: 7,237. Par: 72.

Prize money: $2.1 million. Winner's share: $315,000.

Television: Friday-Sunday, 2-5 p.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Lee Janzen.

Charles Schwab Cup leader: Steven Alker.

Last week: Steve Stricker won the Constellation Furyk & Friends.

Notes: This is the final tournament before the PGA Tour Champions postseason begins. Steven Alker has a $178,712 lead over Padraig Harrington. Both are playing. ... Steve Stricker leads the tour with four victories after his win in the Constellation Furyk & Friends. Stricker plans to take off the next month so he had bow hunt for deer at home in Wisconsin. He said he might consider playing the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix. ... Ten players already have crossed the $1 million mark in earnings this season. ... Sponsor exemptions were awarded to Paul Stankowski and John Huston. ... Notah Begay III made his PGA Tour Champions debut last week in Florida. He is in the field for the SAS Championship. ... Scott Parel, Ken Tanigawa and Shane Bertsch have played 23 out of the 25 tournaments on the PGA Tour Champions schedule.

Next week: Dominion Energy Charity Classic.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/champions.html

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LPGA TOUR

Last week: Jodi Ewart Shadoff won the LPGA Mediheal Championship.

Next week: BMW Ladies Championship.

Race to CME Globe leader: Lydia Ko.

Online: https://www.lpga.com/

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OTHER TOURS

Ladies European Tour: Aramco Team Series-New York, Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, New York, New York. Defending champion: Charley Hull. Online: https://ladieseuropeantour.com/tournaments/

Challenge Tour: English Trophy, Frilford Heath, Abingdon, England. Defending champion: New tournament. Online: https://www.europeantour.com/challenge-tour/

Sunshine Tour: Blue Label Challenge, Gary Player CC, Sun City, South Africa. Defending champion: Lyle Rowe. Online: https://sunshinetour.com/

Legends Tour: Farmfoods European Senior Masters, La Manga Club, Murcia, Spain. Defending champion: Markus Brier. Online: https://www.legendstour.com/

Japan LPGA: Fujitsu Ladies, Tokyu Seven Hundred, Chiba, Japan. Defending champion: Ayaka Furue. Online: https://www.lpga.or.jp/en/

Korea LPGA: Dongbu Construction Championship, Iksan CC, Iksan, South Korea. Defending champion: Jung Min Lee. Online: https://klpga.co.kr/

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