Zozo Championship Odds, Predictions, and Betting Preview

Rory McIlroy captured his 20th PGA Tour win of his career last week at the CJ Cup, and I added what feels like my 20th outright bet that finished second in a tournament.

One of my best bets of the week was Collin Morikawa, who made a Sunday push but fell one stroke short of McIlroy for the win. That’s my fourth outright bet in the last eight tournaments that has finished one spot back of victory. Unbelievable, my friends.

But I digress, because the PGA Tour doesn’t slow down for anyone. It’s back this week with the Zozo Championship, which returns to Japan after being held in the United States last year due to COVID-19 protocols. This is the only PGA Tour event that’s hosted in Japan, and it’s co-sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour.

Tiger Woods won the inaugural edition of the event in 2019, and Patrick Cantlay captured the win when it was held in California last year.

Here are the top 20 odds for the event courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Odds to Win the Zozo Championship

• Collin Morikawa +600
• Xander Schauffele +650
• Hideki Matsuyama +1400
• Will Zalatoris +1800
• Tommy Fleetwood +2500
• Joaquin Niemann +2500
• Rickie Fowler +2500
• Si Woo Kim +3300
• Cameron Tringale +3300
• Maverick McNealy +3300
• Alex Noren +3500
• Keegan Bradley +3500
• Jhonattan Vegas +4000
• Emiliano Grillo +4000
• Erik Van Rooyen +4000
• Charley Hoffman +4000
• KH Lee +4000
• Carlos Ortiz +5000
• Chris Kirk +5000
• Lanto Griffin +5500

How to Handicap Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club

We’ve only seen one edition of the tournament hosted as Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, and the event doesn’t use ShotLink data that’s used at North American and European venues, so us handicappers are limited in the knowledge we usually have when deciding who to bet on.

What we do know is that the course is a very traditional Japanese track. The fairways are skinny and lined with trees, which will force golfers to be extremely accurate off the tee. It will cause players to focus more on their tee-to-green attributes as opposed to their short game.

It plays as a Par 70 measuring just under 7,100 yards, but the course is set up differentially than most Par 70s. There are three Par 5’s and five Par 3’s, which you should note when looking at stats for this week’s event.

Five Key Stats for the Zozo Championship

• Strokes gained: Tee-to-Green
• Driving Accuracy
• Ball Striking
• Par 3 Scoring
• Strokes gained: Putting

Zozo Championship Picks and Predictions

Collin Morikawa +600

Listen, I HATE giving out betting favorites in full-field golf events, but there’s absolutely no reason why Morikawa shouldn’t win this event. The course fits his style of play to perfection, and he’s coming off a solo second finish at the CJ Cup so we know he’s in good form.

Am I making this bet because I’d never forgive myself if I bet on him last week when he finished second but not this week when he wins? Possibly. But with that being said, he’s the best golfer in the field and is deserving of being the favorite. He’s a must-bet in this spot.

Jhonattan Vegas +4000

Jhonattan Vegas had an extremely strong finish to the 2020-21 PGA Tour season, and nobody really noticed. He finished in the top 20 in four of his last six events, including a T2 at the 3M Open. He followed it up with a strong debut in the new season at last week’s CJ Cup, finishing T14.

At a course like this where driving ability is paramount, Vegas should be able to shine. He ranks T43 in driving accuracy and fourth in ball striking heading into the event. He’s a great value bet at +4000.

Chris Kirk +5000

Speaking of someone who finished T14 at last week’s CJ Cup, Chris Kirk is another value play to carry that momentum into the Zozo Championship.

He ranks 28th in driving accuracy heading into this week, which will prove to be invaluable at Narashino Country Club. He’s not in the forefront of golf bettors minds at the moment, due to stumbling down the stretch last season, but he’s clearly back in good form through the first two events of the new season.

He’s worth a shot at +5000.