PGA Tour Player Blog: Winning at home

Collin Morikawa secured a popular victory at the Zozo Championship in 2023 when he claimed his sixth career PGA Tour title by six strokes. The 27-year-old, who is ranked fourth in the world, will return to Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Narita, Japan from October 24-27 with the intention to defend his title and end the year on a winning note.

There are only a few places around the world where you hope to win before the end of your career and for me, Japan is one of those places. Winning the Zozo Championship last October meant the world to me. With my heritage being half Japanese and my last name being Morikawa, it's just so special.

Achieving success around the world is never easy in our sport. We play so much in the US that when we have these opportunities to play internationally and play in a country that I love and have respect for, it's very significant. I can now check that off my bucket list and say I've done it, and hopefully I can continue to repeat my success in the years to come.

It was really incredible to win in front of our Japanese fans. Every win is different, and every experience, whether it's winning or losing, you learn a lot. I had not won a tournament for about two years prior to Zozo, so to secure a six-shot victory was quite exciting.

The Zozo Championship is one of those tournaments that is highlighted on my schedule every year. It’s among a few, including Tiger Woods' event at the Genesis Invitational in L.A. that I really look forward to. Being half Japanese and having the opportunity to connect with the people in Japan over the years has meant a lot. Japan is one of my favorite countries in the entire world, and I truly love being out there.

I think we always talk about growing the game and making it global for the millions of fans who really enjoy and respect the game. When you're able to represent the US, whether it's at the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup or the Olympics, it drives you that much more. I knew at the beginning of the week last year that the fans were obviously rooting for the Japanese players, but I like to consider myself as a part Japanese player, so I felt the love from the fans.

Before the win, I had not won