(Photo credit score: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports)
Five of the highest 25 gamers on this planet rankings have made their solution to Japan for this week’s Zozo Championship, which begins Thursday at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club.
It’s an uncommonly robust area for the FedEx Cup Fall, with this being the fourth of seven occasions. But the Zozo has a powerful custom, with earlier champions and several other stars with Japanese connections highlighting the sector.
Our golf consultants preview the occasion and supply their favourite prop picks together with one of the best bets to win this week.
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: Chiba, Japan, Oct. 19-22
Course: Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club (Par 70, 7,079 yards)
Purse: $8.5M (Winner: $1.53M)
Defending Champion: Keegan Bradley
FedEx Cup Champion: Viktor Hovland
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Wednesday-Saturday, 11 p.m.-3 a.m. (Golf Channel)
X: @ZOZOChampionship
PROP PICKS
–Emiliano Grillo to Beat Thomas Detry (100 at DraftKings): Yes, the Thirty fifth-ranked Grillo is coming off a pair of missed cuts to begin his Fall schedule, however he completed fourth right here final yr prematurely of a 2023 that has included a win on the Charles Schwab Challenge and 4 different top-10s. It’s no slam dunk — the Eightieth-ranked Detry has made seven consecutive cuts worldwide — however we like the worth the Argentinian gives.
–Hideki Matsuyama Top Japanese Finisher (165 at BetMGM): There are 14 Japanese gamers on this prop, however not one of the different 13 can maintain a candle Matsuyama’s resume. The 2021 champion did end fortieth final yr and has had a ho-hum 2023 up to now with solely a pair of top-10s. But as Rickie Fowler mentioned, Matsuyama is a rock star in Japan and we count on him to rise to the event with two months to relaxation and get well since withdrawing from the BMW Championship with a again damage.
–Taylor Moore Top 20 (190 at DraftKings): Moore tees it up in competitors for the primary time since enjoying in his first Tour Championship. A career-best forty ninth on this planet, Moore gained the Valspar earlier this yr and posted a T4 on the Rocket Mortgage Classic and solo fifth on the FedEx St. Jude. While a smattering of massive names have made their solution to Japan, Moore ought to fare effectively in opposition to a area the place nearly all of gamers are nonetheless combating for 2024 standing.
2023 Prop Picks Record: 42-46-2
BEST BETS
–Xander Schauffele (700 at BetMGM), Collin Morikawa (1000) and Matsuyama (1600) have every competed in all 4 prior editions of the Zozo. Matsuyama gained at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in 2021 with Morikawa ending T7, whereas Schauffele posted a finest end of T9 final yr.
–Fowler (1600) completed second to Keegan Bradley by a single stroke final yr. He has been backed by the fourth most whole bets to win this week with 4.7 % of the motion.
–Min Woo Lee (1800), competing on a sponsor exemption, is coming off a win on the Asian Tour and is No. 3 within the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai rankings. He’s the ebook’s second largest legal responsibility this week as Lee leads the sector with 9.2 % of the full bets backing him to win since opening at 2000.
–Sahith Theegala (1800), who completed T5 in his occasion debut final yr, tees it up for the primary time since claiming his maiden PGA Tour victory on the Fortinet Championship.
–Bradley (2200), who additionally tied for seventh two years in the past, mentioned he “really loves” enjoying in Japan. He’s the one participant with top-10 finishes every of the previous two years. Bradley can be the ebook’s largest legal responsibility, drawing essentially the most cash at 17.1 % since opening at 2000.
–Cam Davis (2200) has additionally seen his odds lengthen a bit since opening at 2000. He has posted a pair of top-10s this fall and has 4 over his previous 5 begins total.
–Eric Cole (2800), the one rookie to qualify for the BMW Championship, is making his fourth consecutive begin within the Fall sequence. He already has a pair of top-10s, together with a T3 ultimately week’s Shriners.
NOTES
–Nos. 1-50 after the Tour Championship locked of their positions coming into the 2024 FedEx Cup season. Nos. 51-60 after the Fall sequence will qualify for 2 signature occasions subsequent yr: the ATT Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational. The prime 125 might be exempt into full-field occasions and The Players Championship, whereas Nos. 126-150 will earn Korn Ferry Tour standing and conditional standing on the PGA Tour subsequent yr.
–Winners throughout the Fall sequence obtain world rankings factors, a two-year PGA Tour exemption and invites to subsequent yr’s Tournament of Champions, The Players Championship, the Masters and the PGA Championship.
–The 78-player area contains 46 who competed in final week’s occasion in Las Vegas.
–Field Level Media