Since the conclusion of the Tour Championships it has been a quiet time for several of the best players on the PGA Tour. Whilst some threw themselves into the challenge of the Presidents Cup, others have had the opportunity to rest and relax. However, the time for resting is over as several of the world’s best players will head out to Japan to compete in the ZOZO Championship.
Since its inception back in 2019, the ZOZO Championship has always attracted a top quality field and the list of winners is impressive with Tiger Woods, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay and hometown hero Hideki Matsuyama all able to call themselves former winners.
Offering a lucrative prize pool of $8.5 million, the action will take place at the Narashino Country Club which is located just outside of Tokyo. It is the first sanctioned PGA Tournament to take place in Japan. The hope is that the success of the ZOZO Championship will lead to many more PGA events taking place in other countries of the world.
Ahead of what is bound to be a fantastic few days of action, here are some of the main talking points to keep an eye on.
The Course
Ever since its inauguration back in 2019, the ZOZO Championship has been hosted at the Narashino Country Club. A par 70 that measures just over 7,000 yards in length, over the years the winning score has often been low, with the best players in the world enjoying the wide fairways and open greens.
Immaculately kept, with trees lining either side of the fairway, the course’s biggest defence are its bunkers which play a part on every hole of the course. As well as the numerous bunkers, water is also a feature, with water playing a part on five holes. If a player is to be successful this week, they must be dialled in with both their drivers and irons.
The Favourites
With Scottie Scheffler still opting to rest following his exploits this season, it is world number two Xander Schauffele who will start as the favourite.
2024 has been a year that Schauffele will never forget. At the start of the year the Californian was regarded as the best player never to have won a major, but he was able to flip the script thanks to his two major victories which came in both the PGA and Open Championships.
Now one of the most consistent players on the PGA Tour, every time that Schauffele tees it up he always has a chance of victory. Immaculate off both the tee and fairway, Schauffele should find the set up this week to his liking and he has already proved that he can play well around the course when he stormed to gold at the 2020 Olympic Games.
There might be a few that might be put off by the reasonably long break that Schauffele has been able to enjoy, but if he can play anywhere near his best this week, he will undoubtedly be the man they will all have to catch.
Hot on the heels of Schauffele is his Presidents Cup teammate, Collin Morikawa. Having gone almost two years without victory, Morikawa was able to finally end that barren spell when lifting this title last year and it was that victory that was able to set up a solid 2024 which has seen the Californian re-enter the top five in the world rankings.
Although Morikawa has been unable to win another title since his victory at this venue twelve months ago, it hasn’t been for a lack of trying and had it not been for Scottie Scheffler or some final round jitters he could have well added to his major haul.
Looking to cement his status as one of the very best players in the world, Morikawa looks an appealing betting option for those wanting to take on Schauffele at the top of the market.
Completing the top three in the betting is Hideki Matsuyama. A former winner of this tournament, Matsuyama seems to find the pressure of playing in front of his home fans and his home country right up his street and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him once again go close.
Since making his major breakthrough at the Masters, Matsuyama’s game has largely been inconsistent and he has had to contend with several injuries. With those seemingly behind him, the Japanese has been able to make big strides this year and his good, consistent form has seen him take up his place back inside the world’s top five.
The winner of the St Jude Classic, his season was hampered by more injury woes but he seemed to have put that all behind him when producing some decent performances at the Presidents Cup. Looking to end his positive year with another win in front of his own fans, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Matsuyama have another solid week.
Who are the other contenders
In a field that is absolutely loaded with talent, there are several other players who could find themselves in contention later this week.
One of those names is Sahith Theegala. Having made huge strides over the last few years since turning professional, 2024 has been the Americans greatest to date. A winner of the 2023 Fortinet Championship, Theegala has almost added to that title with narrow runner up efforts at both the Tour Championship, RBC Heritage and Sentry Tournament of Champions.
In the top three in the PGA rankings for scoring, Theegala has the ability to be a real contender this week and will hope to play some of his best golf which could well result in him landing a second career title.
At 35/1 Max Homa is currently at massive odds. The popular American has largely had a year to forget but he did remind everyone of his qualities when finding himself in contention during the 2024 Masters.
Although his season ended after the St Jude Classic, Homa was able to cement a place on the US Presidents Cup Team and showed signs of his form returning.
With almost nothing to lose this week, this week’s ZOZO Championship represents an opportunity for him to get his career back on track and he could be worth a small play at a price.
ZOZO Championship betting
If you fancy placing a bet for this week’s ZOZO, here is how the odds are currently shaping up
Xander Schauffele - 9/2
Collin Morikawa - 13/2
Hideki Matsuyama - 15/2
Sungjae Im - 12/1
Sahith Theegala - 16/1
Justin Thomas - 18/1
Min Woo Lee - 22/1
Si Woo Kim - 25/1
Kurt Kitayama - 25/1
Beau Hossler - 30/1
Jack Hartman
A keen golfer and huge fan of the game, Jack has been covering golf for the last five years. Bringing you all the latest coverage and news from the PGA, LIV, LPGA and DP World Tours, never before has golf been so popular and Jack can’t wait to bring all the excitement to his readers.
