We are at the stage of the year where the PGA Tour heads to Asia with the first of the tournaments in this part of the world coming along in the form of the ZOZO Championship, the event which takes place in Japan and has become a regular on the circuit.
Collin Morikawa certainly enjoyed his time in Japan a year ago when he waltzed off with the title and the American has signed up to attempt to make a defence of the title but this is an invitational event which gets a decent field so he’ll go well to keep hold of the crown.
Recent Winners
2023 – Collin Morikawa
2022 – Keegan Bradley
2021 – Hideki Matsuyama
2020 – Patrick Cantlay
2019 – Tiger Woods
The Course
This will be the fifth time the Accordia Golf Narashimo Country Club course is used for this tournament. The 2020 event was staged in America due to the pandemic. It is a par 70 which has been extended to 7,079 yards so it isn’t long by any standards. It is quite a weird place in that there are three par fives and five par threes around this place so you’ve got to think that will favour those who are in excellent touch with their irons. We have had four years here now though so the putter is going to have to cooperate for those who wish to contend.
There not much breeze around in the forecast this week, so the players should be able to get the ball out there and look to make a number of birdies. Primarily we are looking at a low scoring event, particularly with players having had a few spins here so have had the chance to work out better course management, so we need players who will find the short grass to set up good birdie opportunities.
The Field
There is always a decent blend of American and International runners in this tournament and the American charge is headed up by the defending champion Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele, the man who has won two majors in 2024 and who travels probably better than any player from America. Others to note from that part of the world include Sahith Theegala, Justin Thomas, Kurt Kitayama and Max Homa who has claimed he is refreshed for this week.
The international charge is very good this week, headed as you would expect by Hideki Matsuyama who will be looking to thrill the home crowds with a win here. Sungjae Im is another Asian who will be wanting to have a big week while Si Woo Kim is another. Min Woo Lee has a tee time this week too and he’ll join his trio of Presidents Cup teammates in the field. Seamus Power and Harry Hall are among the few Europeans who tee it up in Japan.
Market Leaders
When you consider that he has won two majors this year and generally travels very well, it is no surprise that Xander Schauffele is the favourite to get his hands on this title for the first time this week. You can get no better than 11/2 on the player of the year and that probably is a fair price when we consider he only has 59 opponents to contend with this week. He has family in this part of the world and perhaps that explains why he has never been better than T9 here. That puts me off what is basically a win only price.
It certainly isn’t a surprise to me that Collin Morikawa won this tournament last year because if there is a course that fits his game it has to be this one with five par 3s allowing his iron play to really come to the fore. He is 7/1 on the best prices to keep hold of the title and that is a little on the skinny side to me anyway but regular readers will know that I’m no fan of taking a defending champion, especially in an invitational event like this where demands on his time might be stronger than usual.
Hideki Matsuyama has claimed his home PGA Tour title once and you would imagine that the Japanese is going to have plenty of support and motivation to get his hands on the trophy for the second time this week. He has won twice in 2024 and had a decent enough Presidents Cup. He looks to be fighting fit which is often not always the case with the former Masters champion and he is sure to be very popular at 8/1.
Sungjae Im is the next in the market at 14/1. He is the only other player in the field who is shorter than 20/1 and while you would think this course would suit him really well, he hasn’t got his hands on the title yet. He has gone T3-T29-T12 around here which certainly isn’t the worst record of all time but the questions come in whether he arrives here playing the sort of high quality golf he has in the past. I have my doubts and he is short enough as a result.
Main Bets
Kurt Kitayama is the sort of player who should go very well here this week. He is aggressive with his irons and when his putter cooperates he can be quite a player. One thing I like about the American is that he is one of the best players on the PGA Tour on the par 3s this year and when you consider that almost a third of the course are par 3s this week that has to be significant. He arrives here off the back of a top 10 in Las Vegas last week where he was the leader in the field in strokes gained from tee to green and third in greens in regulation so his long game is in great order. In two previous spins here he has gone T29-T16 so he looks to be getting the hang of the place and looks main bet potential to me.
Doug Ghim comes here off the back of a second placed finish in Las Vegas last week which ended a good run of three straight weeks for the American who is going in search of a first PGA Tour win here. He was T33 at the Sanderson Farms and T25 at the Black Desert prior to last week so this is a player in good form. Ghim is fifth in strokes gained on approach this season so he is going to set up a lot of birdie chances this week so if his putter remains hot he is entitled to be right in contention here. At the prices I’ll pay to see what he has got to offer.
Outsiders
Matt Kuchar has had a decent few months and he is the sort of aggressive iron player and good putter who should go well around here. Although he missed the FedExCup Playoffs despite a late charge in the regular season, he has put together a couple of top 15 finishes since then and is only really likely to be a contender these days on shorter courses which doesn’t need a lot of pounding off the tee. With that in mind, he has conditions to suit and can play with a bit of freedom with some decent playing opportunities secured for next season already so I think he could be a big price at 66/1.
Kevin Yu won the Sanderson Farms Championship a few weeks ago and although he missed the cut in Las Vegas last week it is never easy for a player to play their best in the week after they win a tournament for the first time so I’m not going to hold that against him. That win in the Sanderson Farms was his fifth top 10 finish of 2024 so he has been playing well all year and that isn’t a surprise with a long game as good as his. Yu plays the par 3s very well which as I’ve said above is a big thing for this place and at a near three-figure price he is entitled to be in the mix.
Tips
Back K.Kitayama to win ZOZO Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 26.00 with William Hill (1/5 1-7)
Back K.Yu to win ZOZO Championship (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 91.00 with William Hill (1/5 1-7)
Back them here:
Back D.Ghim to win ZOZO Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 41.00 with Sky Bet (1/5 1-6)
Back M.Kuchar to win ZOZO Championship (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with Betway (1/5 1-7)
