ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP: Best Bets, Course Info, and Key Stats
The PGA Tour heads to Japan for this week's ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club.
The ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP has been held at this course four times in the past (2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023).
Winners have been Tiger Woods, Hideki Matsuyama, Keegan Bradley, and Collin Morikawa.
Here's all you need to know for this week's edition.
All golf odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP Info
Accordia Golf Narashino CC Course Info
Data from GCSAA, PGA Tour, and data golf's course table unless otherwise noted.
- Par: 70
- Distance: 7,079 yards (short)
- Recent Winning Scores: -14, -15, -15, -19
Accordia Golf Narashino Course Key Stats
- Strokes Gained: Approach
- Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
- Emphasis on Driving Accuracy
- Strokes Gained: Around the Green
- Total Strokes Gained
- Par 5 Scoring
- Birdie or Better Rate
The winning scores here have been right in the -15 range each of the last three years, and multi-shot winners aren't uncommon.
Morikawa won by six shots last year, Matsuyama won by three in 2021, and Woods won by three in 2019.
Though longer hitters can play well here and Morikawa was 70th in accuracy a year ago, more accurate hitters have tended to float toward the top of the board.
We still should prioritize strokes gained: off the tee over distance or accuracy alone, though.
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP Best Bets
These picks stand out relative to their FanDuel Sportsbook golf betting odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All stats cited below originate at datagolf and reference ranks relative to the field over the past 50 rounds unless otherwise noted.
Sungjae Im
- Odds to Win ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP (+1400)
- To Finish Top 10 (+140)
This is a top-heavy event with Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, and Hideki Matsuyama leading the way, but in the next tier, we have Sungjae Im at +1400 to win this week's event.
Im finished seventh at the TOUR Championship in gross scoring and has gained strokes via approach play in eight of his last nine starts.
Im has also finished T3, T29, and T12 at this course in his career.
Sungjae ranks sixth in this field in strokes gained: tee to green over the last 50 rounds and rates out sixth in putting, as well, for a very well-balanced recent profile.
Kurt Kitayama
- Odds to Win ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP (+2200)
- To Finish Top 10 (+210)
- To Finish Top 20 (-140)
This week shapes up as a bit of a tee-to-green contest, which is great for Kitayama, who ranks fourth in the field in strokes gained: T2G but is 66th in strokes gained: putting over the last 50 rounds.
He's fourth in iron play in this split and ranks first by a large margin (+1.55 SG:APP per round) over the last 20 rounds over anyone else (Andrew Putnam is second at +1.10 SG:APP per round in this split). However, he's also third-to-last among qualified putters in the field in the recent 20-round sample.
There's definite upside with Kitayama, and the T2G-centric setup this week could lead to a career outing for him and his first win since the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Si Woo Kim
- Odds to Win ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP (+3500)
- To Finish Top 10 (+280)
- To Finish Top 20 (+115)
Again, if we go with more of a tee-to-green angle for this week's setup, then we should consider looking to Si Woo Kim, who ranks 8th in SG:T2G the last 50 rounds but is 49th in putting.
Kim notably is 8th in approach in this split.
The recent results with the irons aren't ideal, have led to a T5 at the BMW Championship in August and a T18 at the BMW PGA Championship (on the DP World Tour) in September.
Doug Ghim
- Odds to Win ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP (+4000)
- To Finish Top 10 (+320)
- To Finish Top 20 (+125)
What's that? Another great tee-to-green player? Sure thing.
Ghim is 7th in SG:T2G the last 50 rounds but 63rd in putting in that span. He's actually 5th in ball-striking alone but 64th in isolated short game.
He's finished T33, T25, and solo 2nd in three October starts and has not lost strokes from approach play in 14 measured events (last losing SG:APP in March in Houston).
Andrew Novak
- Odds to Win ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP (+7500)
- To Finish Top 20 (+185)
Andrew Novak has solid stats across the board and is 21st in ball-striking (25th in SG:T2G) over the last 50 rounds with ShotLink data.
We're definitely buying low, as he withdrew from the Black Desert Championship and then missed the cut at the Shriners Children's Open last week (he missed the cut on the number).
Prior to the W/D, he had finished top-25 in five of seven starts.
I'm mostly interested in the finishing position here.
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