When a major golf event suddenly changes its location, even the pros feel the pressure. Many PGA Tours have stayed at familiar locations, even for decades in some cases. The Colonial Country Club has hosted the Charles Schwab Challenge since 1946. Ponte Vedra Beach has hosted The Players Championship since 1982. But the Baycurrent Classic broke the mold, moving from Narashino Country Club to the much tougher Yokohama Country Club.

This new venue is one of the most challenging courses in Japan, and golfers are experiencing additional difficulties because of the wind and rain from a typhoon passing through the south of the country. Golfers, including Sahith Theegala and Bud Cauley, have already shared their honest thoughts after the first round, revealing just how much the change is shaking up the competition.

Sahith Theegala was asked to share his thoughts on the course, to which he replied, “Yeah. Really, really cool spot, different than Narashino for sure. I think this is a lot shorter. At first look, felt a lot easier, but you can get some really tricky pins out here. I think if the rain stays away, if the greens get a little firmer, you can definitely see some tough scoring out there. I do think if the greens stay soft, it’s very doable to shoot low out there, but it will penalize bad shots. I think it’s a great venue. It’s actually tough to gauge what the actual scoring’s going to be like. The greens are super pure. Fairways are, I think they’re all Zoysia, so it’s as pure as it gets. Really cool golf course.”

Japan has been a regular stop for Theegala since 2022. He started in the 2022 Zozo Championship, where he finished T5. Then it was T19 in 2023 and T56 in 2024. But this year, he has started well. After Round 1, he stands tied at 4 alongside the likes of Nicolai Hojgaard, William Mouw, Takumi Kanaya, Kevin Roy, Adam Scott, Sam Ryder, and Rico Hoey. He got 5 birdies on holes 4, 6, 9, 13, and 17. However, Theegala struggled on the 18th hole, where he ended up with a double bogey, bringing him down from 5 under par to 3 under par.

Besides Theegala, Bud Cauley, who is tied at 1 with a 4-under par score, also shared his thoughts. “It’s a great golf course, for one. No, I mean, it’s fun to play. It gives you a little space off the tee, but if you miss, you’re really penalized. And the greens are difficult, especially in the wind today. I just think it’s a good test,” said Cauley.

Unlike Sahith Theegala, this is Cauley’s first time playing in the Baycurrent Classic or the Zozo Championship. Bud made a comeback to the PGA Tour in 2021. He met with a car accident in 2018 and has suffered many injuries because of it. He continued for a while, but took a break from professional golf for a couple of years.

At the 2024 WM Phoenix Open, he returned to the PGA Tour, but things haven’t been great for him in recent years. Of the 17 events, he finished in the top 10 only once in 2024. But this year looks a bit different for him. From the 20 tournaments he entered so far, he made the cut in 16 and finished in the top 10 4 times. His bogey-free Round 1 at the Baycurrent Classic shows that he is in top shape this season and may maintain his spot at the top of the leaderboard.

Besides Sahith Theegala and Cauley, the World No. 9, Collin Morikawa, also said that, “The greens are some of the best greens I think we’ve played on on Tour, and just the way the design of the golf course with a lot of bowl greens, sloped edges, it makes the green complexes a lot smaller than what we see. So it’ll be a great test.”

This is coming from the second-highest-ranked golfer on the field after Xander Schauffele. It is not the first time Morikawa has played in Japan, but the venue change, combined with weather conditions, makes it challenging for him, too. Japan is a regular stop on the 6x PGA Tour winner’s schedule, and he even won the 2023 event.

PGA Tour’s Collin Morikawa at the Zozo Championship 2023

Collin Morikawa’s family on his father’s side left Japan to move to Maui. This makes it even more special for the 2025 Ryder Cup American team member. “There’s obviously a little bit more meaning to this tournament for me,” he said during an interview in 2023. “But look, a win’s a win, I’ll take a win anywhere, right. I’m doing everything I can the next three days and kind of tonight to make sure I give myself the best opportunity to do that,” he continued.

He intended to win the tournament, and he did. He finished with a 14 under par score to beat the runner-up, Eric Cole, who finished at 8 under par. Just before the tournament, Collin also went to have dinner at the world’s most famous sushi restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, in Tokyo. Because of his ties with Japan, the owner, Chef Jiro, was making the sushi himself for Collin and his wife, Katherine Zhu.

Currently, though, Morikawa is not having a great time at the Baycurrent Classic. He is tied 25th with a par score after Round 1. Although he did manage to get a birdie on holes 4, 6, 13, and 17, he also had four bogeys on holes 3, 5, 15, and 16.

The 6x PGA Tour winner has had a difficult Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. He only won half a point for his team. Moreover, he is also going through some caddie changes. These factors could be affecting his game.

Although one is left behind after Round 1, there are 3 more to go. Collin would be looking to cover the gap in the next round and aim to get some lead to rise on the leaderboard.