Power Rankings: ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP

Putting faith in the bump of a T9 at the Shriners Children’s Open in his backyard. Led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and ranked third in greens hit, proximity and scrambling. Third look at Narashino (T29, T16).

Got back after it at TPC Summerlin, where his signature balanced game was on display. En route to a T3, led the field in proximity and ranked third in converting greens hit into par breakers. Four top 10s in his active 10-for-10.

Concluded the regular season with a T12-T3 surge but missed the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time. Undeterred and still motivated, he’s added a pair of top 15s in the FedExCup Fall to fortify position at 104th in points.

Presents on paper as consistently strong but can get lost in the mix on longer tracks. No such worry this week. Rode a second-round 62 to a T2 at Narashino last year. Top 25s in last two starts worldwide; four in his last six.

Sits second on the Japan Golf Tour money list with two wins and leads in greens hit and scoring, but his 2nd-Win-4th on-ramp to the ZOZO clinches this attention. Debuted at Narashino with a T7 in 2021.

This is his first visit since finishing T17 in the inaugural edition in 2019, and it’s his first start anywhere since finishing T14 in the FedExCup to tie a bow on a bounce-back season. Short-range accuracy remains elite.

Caught up in the wrong side of the draw at the Shriners and missed the cut. For that he’s excused despite his terrific fit for TPC Summerlin. Still leads the PGA TOUR with 64 red numbers. Personal-best T9 here two years ago.

If you were searching for a Matt McCarty comp based on form alone, look no further than the 23-year-old from Japan who leads his circuit in earnings thanks in large part to four wins since July. Also placed T6 here last year.

Outstanding form of late has piled onto sites where he’d made noise. Narashino already is included with a T16 (2022) and a T2 (2023) in his only trips, scoring 8-under 272 in both. Led outright at least year’s midpoint.

Turned the page after going just 0-1-1 in his Presidents Cup debut with a T9 in his title defense of the Asian Tour’s SJM Macao Open. The week after last year’s win, he rose for a T6 in his debut at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP.

Got knocked around at the Presidents Cup, so he’s ready to reconnect with a red-hot six-month stretch that’s featured eight top 10s and another three top 15s worldwide. In three tries at Narashino, he’s finished T3, T29 and T12.

He’s rapidly become a fixture and a force at Narashino with a T5 and a T19 in the tournament last season. Prior to the Presidents Cup, he finished third in the FedExCup and T7 in his title defense of the Procore Championship.

Although it’s been personally fulfilling to work a PGA TOUR start into his family reunion every year, the two-time major champion still is in pursuit of the best of outcomes at Narashino. No better than a T9 here in 2022.

Given his torrid pace that’s most recently included finishing second in the FedExCup and contributing four points to the winning cause at the Presidents Cup, it’s almost a coincidence that he’s the defending champion.

Although he didn’t win a major this year, outstanding form that’s yielded two victories is similar to what was a career year in 2021 when he won at Narashino. In his prime at 32 and home, it’s time to plug-and-replay.