Five Things to Know Accordia Golf Narashino CC - Abbeyfeale Golf Club Abbeyfeale Five Things to Know Accordia Golf Narashino CC Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Telegram It’s time for primetime golf. At least, in US time zones. For the third time in four years, the PGA TOUR is headed to Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in the Tokyo area. The ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP’s challenge has already been validated in just two Japanese editions by a simple peek at the champions. Tiger Woods won in 2019 and Hideki Matsuyama won in 2021, the reigning champion winning by five shots. A product of Japan’s mid-20th century golf boom, Narashino took an American and European influence while also celebrating its native Japanese traditions upon entering the world in 1965. Long competitive history The ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP may have introduced North American fans to Narashino in 2019, but for Japanese and other international fans, the course has long been a staple of competitive golf. In 1968, just three years after opening, Narashino hosted the 1968 Japan PGA Championship, won by Kosaku Shimada, a nine-time Japan Golf Tour winner. This preceded some of the big names of the 20th-century golf world. In 1972, the second Japan Airlines Open made its way to Narashino and invited a 36-year-old Gary Player, still very much in his prime. Player, coming from behind in the final round, posted a 70, edging five-time Open Championship winner Peter Thomsen, who was 42 at the time, and three others by one stroke. Player’s win earned him 2 million yen (roughly $5,540). A half-decade later, the Japan Open made Narashino its home in 1977. That year, a 20-year-old phenom named Seve Ballesteros became the first non-Asian to win the Japan Open. At even-par, the reigning DP World Tour Order of Merit winner edged Takashi Murakami by one shot. Ballesteros successfully defended his title in 1978 at Yokohama. More consistently, Narashino was known as the home of the Suntory Open on the Japan Golf Tour from 1974-1997. Among those to win the Suntory Open were PGA TOUR winners Graham Marsh, Bill Rogers, Larry Nelson and David Ishii. Isao Aoki finished as runner-up four times at Narashino. All three Ozaki brothers — Masashi (Jumbo), Tateo (Jet) and Naomichi (Joe) — won the Suntory, with Tateo and Naomichi each winning twice. If Suntory sounds familiar, that might be thanks to the American film industry. The Japanese brewing and distilling brand hired Bill Murray’s “Lost in Translation” character Bob Harris to shoot a commercial in Tokyo. The ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP has expanded this rich history around Narshino by adding two mega-stars as its initial champions: Tiger Woods, who tied Sam Snead with his 82nd (and most recent) PGA TOUR win in 2019, and Hideki Matsuyama, Japan’s most successful global golfer, in 2021. Related Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Telegram Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Advertisement Recent Posts 5 seconds ago Five Things to Know Accordia Golf Narashino CC 1 min ago The European Tour group commits to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040 Golf News 2 mins ago 5TH QUARTER SCOREBOARD League titles clinched tonight across Mid-Michigan 4 mins ago Wichita Northwest high school soccer team wins with defense 5 mins ago World Grand Prix Darts Michael van Gerwen holds off Nathan Aspinall fight back to win sixth double-start title Darts News Back to top button Abbeyfeale Golf Club