The PGA Tour arrives in Japan this week with the Zozo Championship at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, Inzai, Japan.
The 78 field with no cut this weekend will all be competing for a share of the $11M prize purse with the winner collecting the Zozo Championship title and a winner’s cheque for $1.71M.
Hideki Matsuyama returns to defend his title on home soil having won last year’s edition in a canter with five shots to spare over the field with a winning scorecard reading 265, -15.
Last weekend we singled out our 11th outright winner this year with too many EWs to mention as Jon Rahm scooped the Open de Espana. I’m the first to admit that he wasn’t our biggest-ever winner at 12/5 but my job is to pick out winners and I don’t make up the prices. I made our main selection my NAP of the tournament for the first time ever so it was good to see the talented Spaniard run away with it in the end just as I said he would.
That’s now 11 outright winners this year, more than one per month so let’s try and keep the winners coming and get a few more before the year is out.
Narashino Country Club will be playing 7,079 yards long this week, it’s a par 70 tree-lined parkland layout where accuracy and precision will be the key to any success with a hot putter pivotal on these small bentgrass greens.
The weather is forecast to be rain on Thursday but will improve over the weekend with warm and sunny conditions. Breezes shouldn’t pose any problems peaking at around 14mph.
This event will be screened on Sky Sports Golf with live coverage starting at 4 am on Thursday morning for the early birds.
So let’s move on with this week’s Zozo Championship betting selections.
Collin Morikawa 14/1 EW 1-7 places William Hill
For my first and main bet in Japan, I’m going to single out Collin Morikawa 14/1 EW 1-7 places William Hill.
Now it’s probably fair to say that it’s been a quiet year to date for the talented 25-year-old from Los Angeles, California but that may all change this weekend in Japan. The world’s 9th best player at the moment has only played eighteen events this year but has eight Top 20 finishes with six of those being inside the Top 10.
He finished 5th at Augusta in April at The Masters then T5th at The US Open with his best finish this year being runner-up at the Genesis Invitational. Already with two majors in the bag when winning the 149th edition of The Open last year at Royal St George’s and the PGA Championship the year before in 2020, I really don’t think Morikawa will go winless this year but time is running out so it will need to be soon.
With those two major victories mentioned above, that’s now six crowns in total for this talented kid since he burst on the scene in 2019. On the stats front, the figures that stick out for Morikawa are the most important around this dog-legged venue.
He ranks 3rd this year on the PGA Tour for SG Approach the Green,3rd for Proximity to hole, 11th for Scrambling from the Fringe, and 17th for Scoring Average at 69.863. Collin Morikawa is a specialist around these types of venues with his wizardly precision and this track could be just what he needs to get on the winner’s podium for the first time in 2022 to the delight of himself and all of us as he makes it a magnificent seven on Sunday morning.
Sungjae Im 11/1 EW 1-6 places Paddy Power
For my next betting tip I’m going to point you all in the direction of one of the South Koreans, but which one do I pick as they are all playing out of their skin at present?
I’m actually looking for a price for a South Korean to win this event but can’t seem to find one so I’ll stick with my original decision here and advise Sungjae Im 11/1 EW 1-6 places Paddy Power.
I tipped Sungjae last weekend as a last-minute replacement for Davis Riley who withdrew from the Shriners Children’s Open and although he never won, he finished 7th, just inside the place money so yet again it was profit for all you Each Way backers.
The event was eventually won by his fellow countryman and friend, the new kid on the block, Tom Kim. Listen, this kid at only 24 years old and is a class act to follow, just check this out if you’re having any doubts.
In his last six tournaments entered Sungjae Im hasn’t finished any worse than 15th place but wait it gets much better.
Four of those efforts were inside the Top 10 with three of them being runners-up prizes, how unlucky is that? T2nd at the 3M Open, T2nd at the Wyndham Championship and 2nd again at the Tour Championship, this is all in the past few months in very competitive fields.
Altogether this year Sungjae Im has thirteen Top 20 finishes with eight of those inside the Top 10. How he’s not won an event this year I’ll never know just like him most probably.
Looking at some stats where do I start with Sungjae? Ranked 4th this year on the PGA Tour SG Tee to Green, 6th SG Total, 4th Driving Distance, 10th Going for the Green Birdie or Better, 10th Proximity to Hole, 1st Scrambling from the Fringe and finally 1st again for Scrambling from the Rough, do you notice a trend, it’s all stats in the Top 10 on the PGA Tour this year.
It’s no wonder Sungjae Im has been in contention on so many leaderboards and he can get what he deserves this weekend in Japan when he makes it a hattrick of PGA victories when he’s crowned the Zozo Championship winner in 2022.
Davis Riley 60/1 EW 1/6 places Unibet
For my next prediction at the Zozo Championship, I’m going to recommend my tip from last week who withdrew from the Shriners Children’s Open to recharge his batteries and that could be the clue right there, Davis Riley 60/1 EW 1/6 places Unibet.
Now the difference here is that the 25-year-old from Mississippi didn’t pull out with an injury last week, it was just as I said to take a time out to recharge and focus.
Again these firms have me baffled with this price especially since the field has halved with only 78 players in contention. Last week he was available before withdrawing at 50/1 with almost double the number of competitors.
Riley still without a win on the PGA Tour has nine Top 20 efforts this year and as I’ve already mentioned in previous previews, it’s only a matter of time if you ask me.
He finished 13th at this year’s PGA Championship and 31st at The US Open, not bad for a player still to break through on the PGA scene and looking for that maiden title that will set him up for many more in the future. He was also an unlucky runner-up at the Valspar Championship a few months ago and other notable performances with a mention this year include 5th at the Mexico Open and T4th at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
With two victories on the Korn Ferry Tour, Davis Riley knows what it takes to get the job done at the business end so nerves shouldn’t be a problem.
Ranked 14th on the PGA Tour this year for Lowest Round at 66, 17th Going for the Green, Birdie or Better, at 73.33% 17th Greens in Regulation, at 71.30%16th SG Approach the Green, 14th Sand Save Percentage at 83.33% and finally 9th Proximity to hole from Sand, do you notice a trend, it’s all stats in the Top 20 on the PGA Tour.
With the price advertised at the time of writing 60/1, I’d say get on Davis Riley as fast as you can safe in the knowledge that if not victorious then just a place will see a return and a tidy one at that .
For my final selection, it’s the customary match bet and for this week’s Nap in Japan I’m going to advise Cameron Young to get the better of Viktor Hovland over 72 holes 5/6 Nap Bet365.
Zozo Championship Betting Tips
- Collin Morikawa 14/1 EW 1-7 places William Hill
- Sungjae Im 11/1 EW 1-6 places Paddy Power
- Davis Riley 60/1 EW 1/6 places Unibet
- Viktor Hovland over 72 holes 5/6 Nap Bet365
The post Golf Betting Tips: Zozo Championship Preview and Best Bets appeared first on MrFixitsTips.
