PGA golf tournament restarts in Japan

NHK -- Oct 22

A men's PGA golf tournament restarts in Japan, after a year's absence, featuring some of the world's best players, such as Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele of the United States and this year's Masters winner Matsuyama Hideki.

ZOZO Championship 2021 started on Thursday in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, for a four-day tournament.

The Championship was inaugurated in 2019 as the first PGA tournament ever to be held in Japan. Last year, it had to be held in the United States because of travel restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Japan's Matsuyama has got off to a good start, finishing Day One in second place, at six under par.

Iwata Hiroshi, who has qualified from a Japanese tour, came on top, at seven under par.

After Day One, the Olympic gold medalist Schauffele was in 29th place. Collin Morikawa, a 24-year-old American rising star, was in 42nd place.

The tournament is allowing a maximum of 5,000 people each day on the gallery.