Ishikawa and Co ready to bank on local support for home success at Zozo Championship

Ryo Ishikawa believes that he, along with his Japanese compatriots, can stand up to the challenge from PGA Tour elites as they aim for victory at the ZOZO Championship, which tees off Thursday at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba.

Returning for its fifth edition, the US$8.5million showpiece features world No. 16 Keegan Bradley as its defending champion.

While Ishikawa recognises the significant challenge posed by competing against top players like world No. 6 Xander Schauffele, No. 20 Collin Morikawa, and No. 24 Rickie Fowler, he's confident that the 14 Japanese contenders in the 78-man field have what it takes to be competitive.

Ishikawa and Co can certainly bank on the strong local support and delight them by becoming the second Japanese victor of the tournament, emulating Hideki Matsuyama's 2021 win.

The JGTO members, in particular, are motivated by the prospect of securing a two-year PGA Tour exemption with a win.

"We’re going against the world’s best, so it won’t be easy," said Ishikawa, nicknamed the Bashful Prince, who played five full seasons on PGA Tour in between 2012-2017.

"There are 14 Japanese players in the field this week. That’s 14 out of 78. You won’t find any other event with that kind of ratio. Normally, you have about 140 players in the field, with players like Satoshi Kodaira and Hideki Matsuyama, so again, this is the only event where the ratio of Japanese players is this high.

"Those 14 players are currently playing really well, and I believe that there will be some that will shine this week. If we only had one or two JGTO players this week, the focus would solely be on their performance, but with this many Japanese players, we can anticipate some players finishing in the top 10.

"The fact that it’s held in Japan may be an advantage for others, too. All in all, I think there is a chance for a Japanese player to win, or at least be in contention. Again, it’s not easy, but the motivation is really high."

The current top-ranked money leader, Takumi Kanaya, echoed Ishikawa's sentiments and lauded the excellent opportunity provided to JGTO members through their partnership with the PGA Tour.

"Since we are participating, I believe we, of course, have a chance to win, and I think everyone is aiming for that," said Kanaya, who secured a commendable tied-seventh finish in 2021.

"More than 10 players from the JGTO are participating, and we all want to showcase the calibre of Japanese golf.

"This will be my fourth appearance at the ZOZO Championship, and I've been given the opportunity to participate every year since turning professional. Two years ago, I made it into the top 10 for the first time. As a representative of the JGTO, I aim to excel.

"Competing on the same field as PGA players offers a remarkable experience. It's a pivotal opportunity, and I personally feel I develop as a player with each edition of this event."

Nakajima, trailing closely behind Kanaya in second place in the prize money rankings, has not only committed to improving upon his tied-12th placement last year but also to contending for the title and securing a direct entry into the PGA Tour.

"After turning professional and achieving a tied-12th finish in this tournament last year was indeed satisfying. But I was frustrated towards the close of my final round. My goal is to rank higher than last year," Nakajima stated.

"Japanese players stand a good chance to win here too. Given the championship's location in Japan, overseas competitors might not be accustomed to the Japanese grass and conditions, providing us with a slight edge.

The other Japanese in the field include Taiga Semikawa, Ryutaro Nagano, Kensei Hirata, Yuki Inamori, Shugo Imahira, Ryo Hisatsune, Mikumu Horikawa, Aguri Iwasaki, Kaito Onishi, Hideki Matsuyama and Satoshi Kodaira.

Meanwhile, Schauffele aims to meet expectations as the highest-ranked player in the field. After securing top-10 finishes in both 2019 and last year, he hopes to transform those solid performances into a victory.

It was in Japan, two years ago, that Schauffele claimed one of the most significant victories of his career by clinching the Olympic gold medal.

"Being back in Tokyo is special for me and obviously adding the Olympics experience plus the gold medal makes it even more special.

"It would be awesome (to win this week) for several reasons, but first things first, one day at a time for me."

Ends.