The ZOZO Championship betting preview: odds, predictions and tips
The PGA Tour is set for its annual visit to Japan and the tree-lined fairways of the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club.
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The ZOZO Championship betting preview
This week marks the fifth edition of the ZOZO Championship but it is only the fourth time that Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club has hosted because the 2020 event was held in California post-Covid.
Narashino is a classic Japanese layout with fairly narrow tree-lined fairways and a traditional style of shaping and contouring.
The first winner on the course was Tiger Woods in 2019, a victory that witnessed both exultant scenes among the fans and also empty scenes when poor weather forced organisers to close the gates to the public.
Two years later home hero Hideki Matsuyama lifted the trophy and 12 months ago Keegan Bradley succeeded him.
He plays again this week and he is likely to put up a strong defence.
He’s played the course every year and has always finished in the top 15 - he is also fuelled by the feeling that he came close to earning a Ryder Cup wildcard and the feeling that he could have improved the American team performance.
The ZOZO Championship betting tips
Find some of the best picks for the ZOZO Championship.
��️♂️ Keegan Bradley each way
Can Bradley really use the Ryder Cup as a trigger for a successful defence?
Yes, he can.
He was 13th on debut in 2019, seventh in 2021 and then spent all week in the top three when first last year.
Those results are very reminiscent of how he played Firestone in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational - yet another tight, tree-lined layout.
He played there five times and never finished outside the top five, a run that included a win, a second and a fourth.
He was a winner in the Travelers Championship this June and when last seen he was the 11th best scorer in the elite-level Tour Championship.
��️♂️ Aaron Rai each way
This week looks like a great opportunity for the Englishman Aaron Rai to continue his progress up the golfing ladder.
He’s been on the PGA Tour for two years now and has logged five top 10s in that time.
He was also second just a few weeks ago in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
It was another reminder that he plays tree-lined golf courses very well and also that he is a good performer around the world.
He won in Kenya, Spain and France on the Challenge Tour, then in Hong Kong and Scotland on the DP World Tour.
He was also third in this year’s Canadian Open.
��️♂️ Ryo Hisatsune to finish top 10
The 21-year-old Japanese golfer Ryo Hisatsune is a golfer on the rise.
Back in 2021 he was a three-time winner on his nation’s second tier and at the end of that year he received an invite to this event.
He struggled in the early rounds but closed with an impressive 66 and last year he finished 12th.
Twelve months on he arrives at the tournament high in confidence as a recent winner on the DP World Tour - in last month’s Open de France - and he can build on that with a top 10 this week.
How to watch the ZOZO Championship
- Venue: Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, Chiba, Japan
- Date: Thursday 19th October - Sunday 22nd October
- Broadcast: Full coverage on Sky Sports Golf: Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday 4.00 am - 10.00 am
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