Straka leads as players brace for wind at Pebble

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The global swing of the PGA TOUR continues as we find ourselves in China with a star-studded field set to do battle at Sheshan International Golf Club. It’s the first of four World Golf Championship events for the season, which brings with it an increased purse and of course a solid 550 FedExCup points to the winner. The 72-hole stroke-play tournament features a 78-player field, with no cut. Highlighting the field are defending champion Hideki Matsuyama – who became the first player from Asia to win a World Golf Championship event at last year’s HSBC Champions and followed by winning the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational later in the season – and world No. 1 Dustin Johnson – who won the Mexico Championship and the Dell Technologies Match Play. Between them, the two players hold all four of the current World Golf Championships titles. For the first time in history, the PGA TOUR also welcomes players from China as members in the field. Zecheng Dou and Xinjun Zhang are rookies in 2017-18 after graduating from the Web.com Tour. They are part of a seven-man Chinese tilt. Here are the featured groups. China is 12 hours ahead. All tee times are Eastern Time. Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm The two players who hold all four WGC trophies in Matsuyama and Johnson are joined by the powerful Jon Rahm, who many predict will finish his career with a boatload of titles. Matsuyama finessed his way to a brilliant win last season and will be hoping to do so again, while Johnson starts his season looking to reassert his position as the world’s best now that the likes of Justin Thomas are coming for his mantle. Tee times: Wednesday 10:50 p.m. (ET) off 10 tee; Thursday 9:40 p.m. off 1st tee Matt Kuchar, Justin Rose, Paul Casey Eventually, Paul Casey is going to turn one of these perennial contention weeks into a victory – so why not this week as he has two top-10 finishes in the tournament prior to it taking official WGC status. Rose also had a top-10 finish in his past at the venue and will be looking to kick-start the new season in style. Kuchar will be inspired to play well in the land of ping pong – where he’s already putting his considerable skills to the test against the locals. Tee times: Wednesday 10:40 p.m. (ET) off 10 tee; Thursday 9:30 p.m. off 1st tee   Tyrrell Hatton, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Haotong Li Hatton is the hot hand, having won the last two European Tour events he entered at the Dunhill Links and Italian Open, while Fitzpatrick is also a recent trophy hoister having claimed the European Masters. They are joined by one the locals big hopes in Li who is no stranger to big event pressure having finished third at The Open Championship last season. Tee times: Wednesday 10:30 p.m. (ET) off 10th tee; Thursday 9:20 p.m. off 1st tee   Jason Day, Henrik Stenson, Brooks Koepka Day started his season last week in reasonable form with a T11 finish in Korea but the key was the return of his putting. With some rust shaken off in his tee and iron play he could be a huge factor. Stenson was tied for second last season in China and T11 the year before … his pure striking is suited for success. And of course the reigning U.S. Open champion will be hoping to start his season with a serious bang as he kicks off his 2017-18 campaign. Tee times: Wednesday 9:50 p.m. (ET) off 10th tee; Thursday 10:50 p.m. off 1st tee

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