Golf: Morikawa ends 27-month wait for title as he wins Zozo Championships

Tokyo, Oct 22 (IANS) Collin Morikawa Grabbed his sixth PGA TOUR title at the Zozo Championship. The win came in his 99th start at the age of 26 years, 8 months, 16 days.

This was Morikawa's first title since the 2021 Open Championship and first worldwide victory since the 2021 DP World Tour Championship.

The bogey-free 63 was also the lowest final-round score by a winner in tournament history beating the previous best of 65 by Hideki Matsuyama in 2021 and by Patrick Cantlay in 2020. It was also Morikawa’s lowest final-round score of the season.

Morikawa’s six-shot win marks the largest margin of victory in tournament history beating the previous highest margin of 5 strokes by Hideki Matsuyama in 2021. He played his final 24 holes at Accordia Golf in Narashino CC in 12-under and had the most birdies 24 in the week.

Morikawa totalled 14-under 266, while Eric Cole (70) and Beau Hossler (70) finished in a tie for second at 8-under.

Ryo Ishikawa spearheaded a historic moment at the Zozo Championship with three Japanese players making the top-10 for the first time, as American Morikawa sealed a six-shot victory with a commanding final round seven-under-par 63.

Ishikawa, a two-time PGA Tour runner-up, delivered a superb 67 in Chiba finishing tied for fourth with a four-day total of seven-under 273, seven strokes behind Morikawa.

Indian-American Sahith Theegala (70) finished T-19, while Aaron Rai (67) and Akshay Bhatia (70) were T-21. Sungjae Im (68) was T-12.