Hideki Matsuyama committed to PGA Tour: 'I want to continue doing my best here'

Former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama has committed his future to the PGA Tour as he prepares to defend his Zozo Championship title in his native Japan.

Matsuyama, who became Japan's first male major winner at the Masters last year, will face a field including Tokyo Olympic champion Xander Schauffele, world No 9 Collin Morikawa, and rising South Korean Kim Joo-hyung as the US PGA Tour returns to Narashino Country Club.

Several top stars including two-time major winner Dustin Johnson and British Open champion Cameron Smith have defected from the PGA Tour to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series, which offers huge prize purses.

The PGA Tour has banned LIV golfers from competing in their events and world No 19 Matsuyama said he had no intention of joining LIV having previously been linked with a move to the series.

"I'm a member of the PGA Tour – the players who left did so because they thought it was the right thing to do, so I can't say anything about them," said Matsuyama, who won last year's Zozo Championship title with a stunning eagle on the final hole.

"I am playing on the PGA Tour and I want to continue doing my best here."

The PGA Tour arrived in Japan days after LIV Golf held its first $25 million event in Asia in Bangkok.

The breakaway circuit is smarting from an announcement that players competing in Bangkok and its season-ending event in Jeddah would not receive world ranking points, despite a co-sanctioning agreement with the Mena Tour.

The OWGR (Official World Golf Rankings), which awards points, said it had been given insufficient notice and needed to conduct a review of LIV Golf's events. American Bryson DeChambeau, a LIV player, said the failure to award ranking points was "delaying the inevitable".

Hideki