That is the strange time of the year where you have little idea which stars are playing which events – and on which continent. For example, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Shane Lowry and Sergio Garcia are playing in Spain. Next week, Rory Mcilroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Victor Hovland Plus their captain Ryder Luke Donald will be in India.
But this week? We have Xander Schauffle and Collin Morikawa in Japan.
it’s Baycurrent’s Classic Week In PGA Tour, which may not say much to you but means a lot to them. Morikawa’s father is a Japanese-American. Schauffle’s mother grew up in Japan. His father did a lot of business there over the years. We learned a lot about what Japan means for these two during the 2020 Olympic Games, when Morikawa and Schauffle represented Team USA. Repped scauffle red, white and blue so good he Got gold at home with.Morikawa lost in a 7-For-1 Play off for bronzeBut he made his mark in Japan two years later, winning the Zozo championship.
In the elite years of the golf game player, it was everything long ago. Morikawa has not won an official tour since then (although in an important note he did the lowest score in the 2024 tour championship). Schauffle made two degrees last summer, and has tried (in vain, so far) to live to the standard since fighting an injury this time last year.
Trying, perhaps as Morikawa, more or less difficult.
On Tuesday evening, I was wondering about Schauffle and Morikawa parallel tracks seemed to be moving recently. I sat in my Agoikago apartment, moving Instagram just to remember the change of time. It was morning time in Yokohama, Japan and a PGA Tour press manager asked if I had any pressing questions for those two players. They were ready to conduct press conferences one after another, and press conferences are not good without questions.
‘NO ON’: Collin Morikawa reflects on Ryder Cup ‘Chaos’ comment
Seduce
Both players fought in 2025. From my metric, safe. But also from them. You hear it in their voices and see it in their practice sessions. Now, however, their eyes are in January in the same way most tour professionals look at that month of new annual beginnings. Falling is the time to understand things for January so that January and February can prepare you for April. I wanted to know, now that the Ryder Cup had come and had gone, what would they try and squeeze from autumn, starting with this week in Japan.
Fortunately for me, the press manager was a ready coordinator.
“I think trying to earn a little confidence would be the biggest thing,” Schauffle said. “I think it was a complicated year with damage and lack of early beginnings. Gaining confidence, this would probably be the number 1. Winning a little going to the new year and trying to get back in good shape.”
It would be good to flip your eyes from the simplicity or intangible feeling of that quotation, but controls. Schauffle’s game has not been bad all this year. In the Ryder Cup, it was quite good. It is just that his floor fell little, just as his ceiling fell. He took a late start in his season and found himself heavy in the range, promoting the doctor’s instruction and trying to be alone understand. If it were so easy, he would have understood it so far. There was no lack of effort. But throughout the tour of the tour, he would find himself shooting 72 times in the course in courses where the 2024 version of Xander was carding 68, light.
It looks like a bunch of T8 to T28 ends, but zero top 5s. Over time, this can undermine one’s faith. Another big twice champion who has accepted as much for his team. So this answer was an excellent. And the last he gave before he went to practice.
A few minutes later, Morikawa was sitting in the same chair, answering the same question.
“I would say there are two (things, not one),” Morikawa said. “I would say someone will decide. It’s a noticeable inconsistency in my game. Just try to figure out how to roll a couple more, have a little more speed.
“Two would be simply by taking my body in order so that I can hit my cuts again. The smart numbers look good, but the level of comfort I want to grow and hit the shots of access and know where it will go.
You can simply be reading that quotation in its version of black and white text on your phone, but you just know- THAT It’s Collin Morikawa as his most real self. So he speaks, thinks, exists. The numbers in his access game look good, but he wants to play the Golf Coll. He even used those two words as a common phrase over and over. Collin Golf is hitting cuts 5- to 10-Obligation everywhere and being as good at that you are extremely sure where they are starting and where they are sitting.
It was another fantastic sincere and completely visual response to anyone sitting at home. Morikawa is focused on something a little more genuine – looking more strokes and perfecting those cuts of choline – while Schauffle is focused on something much more figurative – just feeling good about things. Both great ideas for them to simmer over the next three months. We will be there in January to see how well they have resolved it.

