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The PGA Tour now moves to Inzai, Japan, for the 2023 Zozo Championship, which will be played from Thursday, October 19, to Sunday, October 22, at the Narashino Country Club. This will be the fifth edition of the event and the fourth to be played in Narashino.
The 78-player no-cut field for the 2023 Zozo Championship will feature 16 of the top 50 players competing for the purse size of $8.5 million. Names like Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, and Xander Schauffele will make their first starts since the Ryder Cup.
However, many big names are skipping this week's event. As the top-ranked golfers and those who finished inside the top 50 of the FedEx Cup have already qualified for the Signature events of next year, they are not required to compete in the Fall Series events.
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Here's a look at the top five players missing from the Zozo Championship 2023 field.
Top 5 golfers not playing the 2023 Zozo Championship
#1 Rory McIlroy
After a great 2022–23 season, Rory McIlroy is currently on a break. He was last seen competing at the Ryder Cup, where he emerged as the highest scorer for Team Europe for the first time in his career.
The former World No. 1 golfer has competed at the Zozo Championship twice, and his best finish was a T3 in 2020. The following year, he finished T17, which was his last appearance at the event.
#2 Jon Rahm
Similarly to McIlroy, Jon Rahm is also skipping the Nakashino event. He has only participated here once in 2020, when he finished joint runner-up, one stroke behind Patrick Cantlay.
Rahm was last seen at the DP World Tour's Spanish Open and finished T9 at 14-under. He has had a great season this year as he won four titles; however, his form slumped a bit towards the end of the season as he failed to take advantage of the lead in the FedEx Playoffs and eventually ended at T18.
#3 Scottie Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler has also opted out of the Zozo Championship 2023. His only appearance at the event came in 2021, where he finished tied for 17th.
The 26-year-old American finished the season as World No. 1 and claimed two PGA Tour titles this year. He was last seen competing at the Marco Simone Golf Club, where he had a disappointing performance as the US faced an embarrassing defeat in the Ryder Cup.
#4 Viktor Hovland
Viktor Hovland will also be missing from the Nakashino event. He has competed in three of the four editions, and last year he finished T5. The 25-year-old Norwegian had a great 2022–23 season, as he ended with three titles, including the FedEx Cup trophy.
#5 Max Homa
Max Homa has also chosen to skip the Zozo Championship this year. He hasn't competed here since 2020,with his lone appearance at the event being when he finished T46.
Homa was last seen at the Fortinet Championship, where he finished T7 after failing to defend his title.
