Shaun Norris will tee off in Thursday’s inaugural ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, the first official PGA TOUR event in Japan, with some of the best players in the world.
The South African who has made the Japan Tour home, rather successfully too, is one of five Saffas inside the world’s top 100 after he received a rankings boost on Monday.
The 37-year-old climbed 34 places to 96th after finishing T2, two clear of Adam Scott, at the Japan Open Golf Championship. His final-round 71 left him one shot off the pace just two weeks after his win at the Top Cup Tokai Classic.
Joining Norris at the par-70 Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club are countrymen Louis Oosthuizen and Dylan Frittelli. It is Oosthuizen’s first action in two months after he concluded the 2018-19 season with four straight top 20s before finishing T21 in the FedExCup.
The three Saffas have plenty of work to do if they are to topple a field that includes fit-again Tiger Woods, chasing his 82nd PGA TOUR win after an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee during the TOUR Championship to repair minor cartilage damage as well as reigning FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy, winner of the CJ Cup and also a former FedExCup champion Justin Thomas.
