The PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Fall series has eight events spread across four states and three international locales. This week's Baycurrent Classic is the first of four in a row to be played outside the U.S. and it came on the heels of the Bank of Utah Championship.
As the crow flies, Ivins, Utah, is 5,566 miles away from Yokohama, Japan, which is also 15 hours ahead on the clock.
Needless to say, it was a quick turnaround for the 37 golfers who played in Utah before heading to the Baycurrent Classic. Of the 37 who entered both, 25 of them made the cut at the Bank of Utah, meaning they didn't leave for Japan until Sunday night or Monday morning.
Jordan Smith is one of those 25. The Englishman tied for 26th at Black Desert Resort and after 18 holes
in Japan, he's just two off the lead of Jacob Bridgeman. But this stuff doesn't come easy.
"My sleeping's been all over the place to be honest. The first couple nights I've been up at 3 a.m. and going to bed at 6:00 p.m. so it's been a bit all over," Smith said after his first round. "It's getting there slowly. I'm in the same boat as everyone else. Yeah, it is what it is."
But it's not his first visit to the country.
"We had a couple of DP World Tour events out in Japan two years ago and three years ago," Smith said. "So been here before and obviously played here near Tokyo. Yeah, but I think everyone just loves coming here. It's a great, great place."
Pierceson Coody, however, is making his first venture to Land of the Rising Sun. He is doing so after also competing in Utah last week but missing the cut, which allowed him a bit more time to handle the travel.
"I haven't done much other than just walk maybe a mile circle around our hotel in Yokohama," Coody said after his opening-round 6-under 65, which has him in a four-way tie for third. "My wife and I are going to go to Tokyo Monday for the day. I'm really excited about that. She's gone with a group of girls a few times, says it's unbelievable. Yeah, I'll enjoy my time in Yokohama, hopefully finish off a nice tournament and go enjoy the day in Tokyo."
Todd Kelly is an assistant managing editor at Golfweek.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: PGA Tour players make quick turnaround from Utah to Japan: 'Sleeping's been all over the place'
