Morikawa Clinches Victory at the 2023 ZOZO Championship
Collin Morikawa has triumphed at the 2023 ZOZO Championship, marking his first PGA Tour win since the 2021 Open Championship. This significant achievement comes after a two-year hiatus from the winner's circle, re-establishing Morikawa as a formidable competitor in the world of golf.
The ZOZO Championship, which boasts an impressive $8.5 million purse, concluded with Morikawa securing a substantial winner's share of $1,530,000. The tournament, running from October 19 to October 22, witnessed a strong field of contenders, including notable names like Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler.
Morikawa's performance was nothing short of stellar as he finished at 14-under par. His mastery on the course allowed him to build and maintain a six-shot lead over his closest competitors, a gap that underscored his dominance throughout the event.
Runner-Ups and Top Finishers
Eric Cole and Beau Hossler admirably tied for second place, each finishing the tournament with a score of 8-under par. Their efforts were rewarded with a handsome payout of $748,000 apiece. Not far behind, Ryo Ishikawa and Robby Shelton shared fourth place at 7-under, each earning $374,000 for their performances.
A quartet of players—Kensei Hirata, Ryo Hisatsune, Min Woo Lee, and J.J. Spaun—tied for sixth place, ending the tournament at 6-under. Each took home $275,187.50, reflecting the equitable distribution of the prize money among participants.
Emiliano Grillo and Justin Suh, who tied for tenth place at 5-under par, each pocketed $221,000. Meanwhile, Cam Davis, Sungjae Im, and Satoshi Kodaira found themselves in a three-way tie for twelfth place with scores of 4-under, resulting in earnings of $178,500 each.
Additional Standouts and Payout Details
Matt NeSmith rounded out the top fifteen with a score of 3-under par, earning $151,640. Yuki Inamori, Kurt Kitayama, and Taylor Montgomery were locked in a tie for sixteenth place at 2-under, with each player receiving $133,960.
Keegan Bradley and Sahith Theegala, who tied for nineteenth place at 1-under, were awarded $112,710 each. Consistency across the board was evident as players who tied for twenty-first place scored even-par and received $73,610 each.
Those who finished in the ties for thirty-first and thirty-eighth places, scoring 1-over and 2-over respectively, earned around $46,167 and $36,210 each. A tie for forty-first place at 3-over saw players taking home $27,710 each, while those tied for forty-eighth place at 4-over earned $20,230 each.
Continuing down the leaderboard, players tied for fifty-first place at 5-over par received $17,743.75 each. Those tied for fifty-ninth and sixty-fourth places, scoring 6-over and 7-over respectively, earned $16,490 and $15,725 each. Players tied for sixty-eighth place at 8-over par secured $15,045 each.
Hayden Buckley, who placed seventy-second at 9-over par, was awarded $14,620. Tying for seventy-third place at 10-over par resulted in a payout of $14,280 for each golfer involved. Tyson Alexander, finishing seventy-sixth at 11-over par, earned $13,940, while Ben Taylor concluded the event in seventy-seventh place at 20-over par, securing $13,770.
Inclusive Payout Structure Promotes Competitiveness
The ZOZO Championship's payout structure is designed to ensure all participating players are compensated for their efforts. This approach not only supports competitiveness but also inclusivity, ensuring that every golfer who tees up is rewarded for their participation in the event.
Morikawa's victory is particularly noteworthy as it signals a return to top-level performance for the young golfer. Having already established himself as a major champion, this latest win reaffirms his status as one of the game's elite players and adds another prestigious title to his growing list of career achievements.
As the golf season continues, fans and fellow golfers alike will be watching Morikawa closely to see