The Zozo Championship, LIV Jeddah and more

Although the calendar may say October, there are still many good rounds of golf being played all around the globe.

Tom KimAgain won on the PGA Tour. Jodi Ewart ShadoffThis was her first win in her 11-year LPGA history. And Dustin JohnsonFinishing 16th in a LIV golf event in Thailand made him $18 million more

After a week, Max Homa still Twitter user ownedGolf fans all over the world were likely doing something they didnt think they would: Googling the MENA Tour – the PGA Tour heads towards Japan, LIV Golf visits Saudi Arabia, and the LPGA takes a break to play in South Korea.

Heres a look at the next step in professional golf.

Whats next on PGA Tour?

Zozo Championship
When: Thursday-Sunday
Where: Accordia Country Club Narashino Country Club Chiba, Japan
Purse $11 Million
Champion in defense: Hideki Yamayama

Three storylines to follow:

Matsuyama goes home:Matsuyama, 2020 Masters champion, is one Japans most admired athletes. He was the first Japanese man ever to win a major championship. He won the 2021 Zozo Championship with a final-round score of 65. He suffered from neck and back problems last season but still won twice and was fourth at U.S. Open.

Schauffeles return: Xander SchauffeleHe is the sixth-ranked player in the world and is the highest-ranked in the field. He returns to Japan where he won a Tokyo Olympics gold medal in 2020. His mother was born in Japan and his maternal grandparents are from Tokyo. He celebrated his Olympic victory by dining in-room at the same hotel where his grandparents stayed for the Zozo Champion. Schauffele explained that Maya, his wife, was born in Okinawa. They plan to visit her grandparents following the tournament. He plans to dine with 30 of his family members on Tuesday night. Schauffele said that it would be great to see my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in Japan.

Japan is ready to help @ZOZOChamp 🤩

Mondays range was completely packed @XSchauffele. pic.twitter.com/bzUopWJmSB

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 10, 2022

Representation worldwide:The 78-man field includes 10 out of 12 players who competed at the Presidents Cup International team. Matsuyama is also part of it. Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Corey Conners, Cam Davis, Sungjae Im, Si Woo Kim, Tom Kim, K.H. Lee, Sebastian MuñozAnd Mito Pereira. The 72-hole event is not cut (dont tell the LIV Golf).

Whats next for LIV Golf?

LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah
When: Friday-Sunday
Where: Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia
$25 Million for Purse

Three stories to follow:

Home game for the Viv:Some have criticized the LIV Golf Invitational Series for being funded by Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund. There were 9/11 protestors at events, and players are facing questions about the monarchy’s history of human rights violations. This weeks regular-season finale will be different. It is being played at King Abdullah Economic City. This is the largest privately funded city in the country and is located about two hours north from Jeddah, on the Red Sea coast. Royal Greens has previously hosted the Saudi International as well as the Saudi Ladies International.

Race for second and/or third place:Dustin Johnson, two-time major championship winner, has already won individual title in the inaugural season at LIV Golf. Hell also receive $18 millions. Second place earns $8 million, and third places get $4 million. South Africas Branden GraceSecond place is with 79 points Patrick ReedWith 76 points, is in third place, 20 points behind Cameron SmithHe has one victory and a fifth place finish in two LIV starts. Winners receive 40 points and runners-ups 30.

Your 2022 LIV Golf Individual Champion🇺🇸🏆#LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/WCNHcBX7cK

— LIV Golf (@LIVGolfInv) October 10, 2022

Team race heats up:The first round bye in the $50 Million LIV Golf team championship will be played at Trump National Doral Miami Oct. 28-30. The 4 Aces: Johnson, Reed, Talor GoochAnd Pat Perez) won four of six events and are assured of a first-round bye with 140 points. Bryson DeChambeauWith 80 points, thes Crushers are second. Louis OosthuizenWith 72,s StingerGC is third. Sergio GarciaWith 69,s Fireballs is fourth. Lee Westwoods Majestics are 10 point back from a bye.

Whats next in the LPGA

BMW Ladies Championship
When: Oct. 20-23
Where: Oak Valley Country Club Busan, South Korea
Purse: $2 Million
Champion in defense: Jin Young Ko

Three storylines to follow:

Korean dominance:Jin Young Ko recovered from a four-shot deficit at the end of the final round to win the 2021 BMW Ladies Championship. This event is the first in the LPGAs Asian swing. She was the second Korean-born winner of the event. Ha Na Jang won 2019s inaugural event. The championship was canceled due to the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020. Kos victory was 200th for a Korean-born LPGA Tour player.

Another first-time winner:Parity reigns currently on the LPGA Tour. Englands Jodi Shadoff was the 24th different winner with her win at last weeks LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship. 26 different winners have been recorded in LPGA seasons 1991 and 2018. Ewart Shadoff was the leader to win her 246th event. She was the 10th winner of this season, which tied for second in LPGA history. 1995 saw 11 first-time winner.

This was a momentous occasion for the champion.

In her 246th start @Jodi_EwartShe wins her first LPGA title at the @MEDIHEALChamp. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/N4zFaECBEL

— LPGA (@LPGA) October 10, 2022

Up-and-comer:Chinas Xiaowen Yin (17 years old) was one of 10 players who received their LPGA cards. She finished in the top 10 Epson Tour money list. Sunday marked the end of the Epson tour Championship. Yin, turning 18 in December, received her card in the latter part of August. Because of her youth, she travels with her parents to tournaments.

Official World Golf Rankings

Cameron Smith, winner at St. Andrews 150th Open Championship, jumped back up to No. 2 in the World on Monday, behind Cameron Smith Scottie Scheffler. Smith, who is now playing in the LIV Golf circuit swapped places with Rory McIlroySmith, who finished third. Smith rose a spot despite not receiving OWGR points at the first six events. LIV Golf formed a partnership with the MENA Tour last Wednesday, believing that it would create a loophole which would allow its players to get points immediately. However, the OWGR governing board stated that a ruling would not be made before the event in Saudi Arabia. Here are some notables who moved up or down in the rankings this Week.

Moving up

Tom Kim
Current rank 21
Previous rank: 15

He continued his inspired play at the Presidents Cup by winning his second victory at Shriners Childrens Open. He joins Tiger WoodsAs the only player to win twice the PGA Tour prior to turning 21.

History is made.

Tom Kim is the first player since Tiger Woods, to win two PGA TOUR victories before turning 21. pic.twitter.com/cTUvjSFsdZ

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 10, 2022

Tom Hoge
Current rank: 35
Previous rank: 42

Hoge was the Las Vegas leader in the first round and tied for fourth with Kim. Hoge is 1-for-9 if he has an 18-hole lead/co-lead.

Mito Pereira
Current rank is 41
Previous rank: 49

Pereira, a Chilean golfer, is expected to travel to the LIV Golf Invitational Series. Pereira, from Chile, is currently playing on PGA Tour. He tied for fourth at Las Vegas.

Si Woo Kim
Current rank: 73
Previous rank: 79

It was hard to believe that Kims strong performance at the Presidents Cup would propel his career. After just one top-10 in 29 Tour starts this season, he finished eighth at the Shriners Childrens Open.

Matthew NeSmith
Current rank: 98
Previous rank: 162

NeSmith, from North Augusta in South Carolina, rose 64 spots in the rankings after finishing second in Las Vegas. It was his best finish ever on Tour. NeSmith is a fan of TPC Summerlin, with 16 rounds in the 60s in just four starts.

Moving down

Dustin Johnson
Current rank 24
Previous rank: 23

Johnson might have won the LIV Golf individual title, finishing 16th in Bangkok, but he continues his slide down the OWGR rankings. He was No. He was No. 3 in the world at 2021s end.

Brooks Koepka
Current rank 33
Previous rank: 32

The former world No. After joining LIV Golf, the former world No.1 golfer continues to slide down in the rankings. This is the worst ranking for the four time major champion, since he was 34th at end of 2014 season, when his team was not a member.

Louis Oosthuizen
Current rank: 38
Previous rank: 34

Another LIV golfer, South Africas ranked seventh after tied for 17th at St. Jude Invitational 2021 WGC. He has four top-10s in five LIV golf starts.

Daniel Berger
Current rank 40
Previous rank: 37

Due to a back injury, the four-time Tour winner has not made a start since Junes U.S. Open. He was ranked 13th around the world at the beginning of 2021.

Tiger Woods
Current rank is 1,206
Previous rank: 1,195

Woods, who was ranked no. After suffering serious injuries from a car accident in February 2021, Woods was ranked No.1 in the world for a record 683-week period. He played in only three majors in his last season. His current ranking is seven places lower than his previous worst in his long and distinguished career.

The record

PGA Tour rookie Taylor MontgomeryThe start to the season has been hot with three consecutive top-15 finishes in as few starts. The former UNLV player was solo third at season-opening Fortinet Championship. He also tied for ninth at Sanderson Farms Championship, and tied for 15th at Shriners Childrens Open. Montgomery spoke with ESPN this week.

Q: What was it like to play in your hometown this week?

A: It was great. I grew up watching the tournament so it was very cool to be able to participate in it. Its a great feeling to be able to sleep in your own bed. Its almost like you go back to your normal activities after you leave the course. Youre not returning to your hotel room to watch movies. You can actually go home and relax with family.

Q: What was the value of local knowledge?

A: I felt like I struggled a lot on this course. They redid all the greens. Thats the longest number of putts I have missed within 5 feet in the last three to four years that Ive been a pro. They were difficult and havent settled yet. There were so many small breaks. You can see that everyone was experiencing the same problem when you look at the statistics. They were hard to read.

Q: Which courses are you most excited to play on the PGA Tours course?

A: The West Coast swing at Hawaii, and all the courses in California. Torrey Pines is a favorite of mine. That one is my favorite.

Q: How difficult was the transition from the Korn Ferry Tour into the PGA Tour for you?

A: The Korn Ferry Tour is a great way to prepare for the PGA Tour. The courses we played this year were a great test, especially in the last year. It feels like a PGA Tour tournament. We havent played any of the most difficult PGA courses in the past three years, but I do know that Torrey Pines is a tough course and I love that place. If you are consistently playing well on Korn Ferry Tour, I believe you will do the same on the PGA Tour.

Q: Is it true you didnt even hit a driver off the fairway at one point in your college career.

A: I met Jon Sinclair, a swing coach from Dallas, Texas, around four or five years back. I have always been a good player of the short game. I mean, I had the ability to because I have played from the trees all my adult life. Because I couldn’t hit a driver anywhere, college was so difficult. I could swing it at 134 MPH, but it could go 80yds left, down the middle, or right depending on where I was. Over the last few years, Ive become a very good driver of the ball. Its truly all [thanks]Jon Sinclairs assistance.

Q: What did Sinclair do for you to dial it in?

A: We have made a lot of changes. I changed how I released the club. I used flip the club and thats where I found my speed. But I had no face control. Jon has been a great help. I didnt bow my wrist as a child, but this has helped me release my club. He never taught me how to bow my wrist. It was something that I did naturally because I felt the other way was too difficult. Its the swing that I have developed.

Q: Are You Going to Stay in Las Vegas?

A: I just purchased my first house and it will be completed in seven to eight months. I have been searching for houses for quite some time, but they are so expensive in Las Vegas as well as everywhere else. The house has been sold after the last two or three starts. [Montgomery has won $889,375]. Right now, I am staying with my parents.