The 2019 ZOZO Championship Odds & Betting Preview

The inaugural ZOZO Championship takes place this weekend, the middle tournament in a three-event stint for the PGA Tour in Asia. Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan, will host the tournament, with 78 golfers set to enter. Sixty come from the PGA Tour, with the rest coming from the Japanese Golf Tour Organization, along with sponsor exemptions, and we will see the 2019-20 debuts of Tiger Woods, Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy. We have golf odds as well as thoughts about the course and suggestions for your wager cards.

The 2019 ZOZO Championship Odds & Betting Preview

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Welcome to Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, home to the @zozochamp. 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/9XRtPlZM6f

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 22, 2019

Contender Odds to Win the ZOZO Championship

• Justin Thomas                                                                                                15/2
• Rory McIlroy                                                                                                   8/1
• Hideki Matsuyama                                                                                          18/1
• Xander Schauffele                                                                                          22/1
• Jordan Spieth, Paul Casey                                                                             25/1
• Adam Scott, Tommy Fleetwood                                                                     28/1
• Tony Finau, Gary Woodland, Patrick Reed, Viktor Hovland                         33/1
• Tiger Woods, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Collin Morikawa                                      35/1
• Jason Day, Sungjae Im                                                                                  40/1
• Rafael Cabrera Bello, Marc Leishman                                                           45/1
• Sergio Garcia, Byeong Hun An, Joaquin Niemann, Adam Hadwin,
• Louis Oosthuizen                                                                                            50/1
• Ryan Moore, Kevin Na, Shane Lowry                                                            55/1
• Corey Conners, Billy Horschel, Andrew Putnam                                           66/1
• Kevin Kisner, Ian Poulter, Emiliano Grillo                                                      70/1
• Chez Reavie, Shugo Imahira, Rory Sabbatini, Charles Howell III                 80/1
• Jason Kokrak                                                                                                  90/1
• Dylan Frittelli, Lucas Glover, Pat Perez, Danny Lee, Ryan Palmer              100/1

The Course

Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club is a par-70 course that runs 7,041 yards. There are six dogleg holes, and the fairways feature trees running up and down the fairways. The greens are bentgrass and are fairly accessible, although they are somewhat small, with a large number of bunkers throughout the course. Four of the holes feature water hazards that are in play. Given the course’s relatively close proximity to the ocean, wind can come into play. One unusual feature of this course is that each hole has two greens, and players get a free drop if they land on the wrong green. The par-70 layout actually features three par 5s, all of which are over 550 yards in length. There are five par 4 holes that are more than 450 yards in length. This means that Strokes Gained: Off the tee and driving accuracy are metrics for you to consider. Scrambling efficiency from the sand is a key stat, given the large number of bunkers on the course.

Top Picks to Win

Adam Scott did not have a win in the 2018-19 campaign, but he had two runner-up finishes, including the Memorial Tournament and the Farmers Insurance Open. He came in 42nd at the Shriners Hospital for Children Open, and he has been struggling getting off the tee. However, his irons and putting have taken off over his last 24 rounds, over which time he has ranked seventh in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green. So his strengths could come to bear on this course, and he does offer a lot of value. Xander Schauffele has played very well in no-cut events such as this one. He has won the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, the Sentry Tournament of Champions and the TOUR Championship despite being just 25 years of age. In his last six tournaments, he has cracked the top 12 in Strokes Gained: Off the tee and the top 25 in Strokes Gained: Approach the green. With those metrics, he could make a run here. Joaquin Niemann had a terrific tournament at A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier back in September. In his last three tournaments, he is first in sand save percentage, which will help on all of the bunkers here. He has cracked the top 20 in par-4 scoring average over that time as well. He tied for 12th last week at the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges. Ryan Palmer also tied for 12th at the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges. Over his last three tournaments, he has ranked 25th in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green. Over his last twelve rounds, he is tops in par 5 efficiency on holes between 550 and 600 yards. Palmer has played well at similar courses, such as those as the Valspar Championship and The Honda Classic, which makes him worth consideration this weekend.