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Zozo Championship 2022 leaderboard, scores: Brendan Steele takes solo lead after Round 1



While many were sleeping Wednesday night on the US East Coast, the 2022 Zozo Championship in Chiba, Japan, got underway. Featured by defending champion Hideki Matsuyama, Japan’s most famous golfer, it was the bleak weather that finally became the focus of the first round. Competitors play with the ball in hand as they handle the wet and rainy conditions around Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club.

The one who adapted to his surroundings better than the rest of the pitch was Brendan Steele, who opened 6 under 64 to take a solo lead in the first half. The 39-year-old was exquisite from the jump as he made a birdie on his second par-4 before scoring two more at 10 and 11. After a headbutt on a 14 at par-5 , Steele was left in need of a recovery, and the recovery he did with four birdies during his last four holes.

Featuring a birdie from around 60 yards in a tough par-4 17, Steele was able to make his name at the top of the first page of a leaderboard that included the likes of Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele and Mito Pereira. Matsuyama may have started his defensive efforts at middleweight with a 1 to 71 score, but his compatriot Kazuki Higa was sure of the match after 3 under 67 and will be looking to return to the championship. consecutive Zozo enemies. Japan.

Leader

1. Brendan Steele (-6)

It’s no secret that Steele has been going through a rough patch lately, but he’s clearly developed a nice level of comfort around Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club. Finishing runner-up to Matsuyama at last year’s tournament, Steele took the spot he had stopped in Round 1. Having lost a combined 10-stroke on grass en route to missing a shot at the Fortinet Championship. and the Sanderson Farm Championships, it appears — through 18 holes at least — that Steele left his woes when he returned to the United States.

“I love it here. Loved last year’s course, really happy to be back. Nice for us this year to be able to get out of the hotel for a little bit and enjoy the culture a little bit, so I’m very pleased. like Steele said. “You just have to drive it well. I like to take the ball off the tee at least when I’m spinning well and I think there are quite a few shots here, so I’m comfortable with shots that can be a bit harder for some. who has a different flight path. And then I really felt comfortable on the pitch. Grass courts are difficult, they have a lot of slope, a lot of speed, but since the beginning of last year I’ve felt really comfortable here and that’s really been a key for me. “

Other candidates

2. Adam Schenk (-5)

T3. Keegan Bradley, Matthew NeSmith, Sam Ryder (-4)

T6. Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler, Mito Pereira, Maverick McNealy, Kazuki Higa (-3)

Competing under a sponsor waiver, Fowler is making the most of his chances at the Zozo Championship. After starting his 2022-23 season with a T6 finish at the Fortinet Championship, many believe the five-time PGA Tour winner is on his way to officially return. A miss at the Shriners Children’s Open lowered expectations, but a whimsical Fowler could be the new normal as he blends in with a new caddy and returns to old swing coach Butch Harmon.

“I’m very happy with where we are,” Fowler said. “Obviously last week we didn’t have what we wanted, which made it worse, but with some changes we made and to get to the end we did in Napa and see a lot of things. many good things, I’m definitely pleased about that and excited to be here and off to a good start.”

2022 Zozo Championship updated odds and selection

  • Xander Schauffele (5-1)
  • Keegan Bradley (9-1)
  • Brendan Steele (10-1)
  • Mito Pereira (12-1)
  • Adam Schenk (14-1)
  • Matthew NeSmith (18-1)
  • Maverick McNealy (18-1)
  • Viktor Hovland (20-1)

With 54 holes still to play, no player below 20-1 really stands out. The top of this chart is vulnerable; Instead, we’ll be looking at a few players who have signed for rounds even at 70. British tennis player Tyrrell Hatton was a well-known name at the start of the tournament, and this sentiment still doesn’t. change after 18 holes. Snatching a quad bogey in the middle of the nine back, Hatton was able to recover with four straight birds to claw back at the end of the day and stand six strokes 40-1.

A similar story happened with Cam Davis when he started the Zozo Championship with two double bogeys and one bogey in his first four holes. The smooth-turning Australian played the last 14 of the bottom four to end the day he started on par. Davis is listed at 60-1, has a strong Pres. this.

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