Zozo Championship 2021: Form guide for this week's tournament in Chiba, Japan

Hideki Matsuyama will be the star attraction when this year's Masters champion returns to his home country to compete in this week's Zozo Championship at Narashino Country Club.

In April of this year the 29-year-old became the first Japanese male to win one of golf's four major championships.

And much of the media attention these next few days will be focussed on the arrival of Matsuyama as he prepares to tee-off in this select 78-player event.

Two years ago, the Zozo Championship made history by becoming the first-ever PGA Tour event to be staged in Japan, and to celebrate this momentous occasion the tournament was won by 15-time major champ Tiger Woods.

Unfortunately, due to travel restrictions because of Covid-19, last year's event had to be switched to California.

But 12 months later, it is back to Japan and for the second time will be staged at Narashino Country Club in the east coast city of Chiba.

On the tee

Two of this year's major winners, along with the Olympic gold medallist from Tokyo, are taking part.

In addition to Augusta champion Matsuyama, who finished runner-up to Woods at Narashino two years' ago, is Collin Morikawa winner of July's Open Championship in Kent.

The 24-year-old American closed last week's tournament in Las Vegas with a 62, to finish second behind Rory McIlory.

Olympic champion Xander Schauffele has also made the trip to Japan, and will tee-up on Thursday just 65 miles from where he was presented with the gold medal on August 1st.

Schauffele certainly has good memories of the Far East, having won the HSBC Champions Tournament in Shanghai, China, three years ago - and was runner-up there one year later. Two years ago at Narashino he tied-10th.

Latest odds for the Zozo Championship

Another pro whose form certainly remains solid on his travels is Englishman Paul Casey.

The 44-year-old world No 27 has won twice in China, four times in the Middle East, plus once each in Australia and Korea. And he was tied-17th here in 2019.

And if you're looking to back one of the home players this week - perhaps as an e/w bet - then how about 30-year-old Ryosuke Kinoshita?

Kinoshita is a career-high No 72 in the world thanks to a brace of wins on the Japan Tour this year - along with six other top-10s.

The most recent of these came at the weekend in Japan's national open when Kinoshita stood on the podium.

Course details

Opened in 1965, Narashino Country Club is located around 12 miles north-east of Tokyo city centre.

This week's tournament will take place over a composite course, using holes from the club's King and Queen's layouts.

It is a lush gently-rolling tree-lined course that is extremely well bunkered, with water on six holes. Every hole has two available putting surfaces.

Solid ball strikers who can accurately guide their shots along the tight fairways of this parkland venue should benefit most at Narashino.

The key is to avoid the many heavily-wooded areas which run alongside fairways.

Narashino has hosted many top level events over the years, including the Japan Open (1977), Japan PGA Championship (1968) and Japan Airlines Open (1972).

It was also the venue for the popular Suntory Open between 1974 and 1997.

Twitter: Andy Swales@GolfStatsAlive

Note: List Contains Leading Reserves