The PGA Tour heads over to Japan as the Fall Series continues.
ZOZO Championship 2024 odds
Xander Schauffele 9/2
Collin Morikawa 7/1
Hideki Matsuyama 8/1
Sungjae Im 12/1
Sahith Theegala 16/1
Justin Thomas 20/1
Kurt Kitayama 25/1
Si Woo Kim 28/1
Min Woo Lee 28/1
Beau Hossler 33/1
Odds with bet365. Odds are subject to change.
ZOZO Championship 2024 golf betting preview
After the bright lights of Las Vegas, the PGA Tour’s Fall Series continues with its annual trip to the Far East and the ZOZO Championship in Japan.
This is the sixth edition of the event and fifth at Narashino Country Club in Chiba.
The course for this week’s championship uses nine holes each from the King and Queen layouts and presents itself as a shortish 7,079-yard par 70.
Somewhat unusually, the tree-lined parkland track features five par 3s and three par 5s.
One thing that stands out when looking at the four previous winners at Narashino is that all of them were major winners.
Collin Morikawa (2023) continued the trend started by Tiger Woods in 2019 which was added to by Hideki Matsuayma in 2021 and Keegan Bradley a year later.
This venue remains the scene of Tiger’s 82nd and most recent PGA Tour victory. As much as we’re willing him on, it could very easily stay that way.
Past success at the course has involved strong iron play and good putting. That should be the likely recipe once more.
ZOZO Championship 2024 golf betting tips
Find my predictions and best tips for this year’s ZOZO Championship 2024 below.
Gary Woodland worth a punt
If sticking to the theme of major winners always being successful in this event, it’s easy to hone in on the top three in the market – Schauffele, Morikawa and Matsuyama.
But all are single figure prices and it’s hard to pick one over the other two.
But there is a past major winner at a much bigger price and his credentials look interesting too.
Gary Woodland, the 2019 US Open champion, struggled with health issues in 2023 and into 2024.
But he’s finding his best again and in his last two starts the American has finished ninth in last week’s Shriners Children’s Open and 16th in the Sanderson Farms Championship.
His iron play was excellent at both events which also bodes well.
Woodland was fifth here on his only previous visit and is a strong performer in Asia as shown by two second places at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia.
Back him at 66/1 with Unibet, who pay five each-way places
Beau Hossler to beat Kurt Kitayama
Beau Hossler is the underdog in a 72-hole match bet with Kurt Kitayama but one worth backing at 21/20 with bet365.
Both have played here the last two years and Hossler has come out on top each time, finishing 16th to Kitayama’s 29th in 2022 and second to his fellow American’s 16th in 2023.
On current form, Kitayama is certainly impressing with 25th and ninth the last two weeks.
Then again, so is Hossler who has put together form figures of 2-11-23 in his latest three starts.
Hossler should be favourite in my book so is worth a play at odds-against.
Bet on Beau Hussler to beat Kurt Kitayama with Betfred
Ryo Hisatsune for Top 10
Three Japanese golfers made the top six here last year and that included 2023 Open de France winner Ryo Hisatsune.
The 22-year-old is a big talent and has finishes in this event of 12th and sixth in the last two editions.
A top 25 at the PGA Tour’s Black Desert Championship a couple of weeks ago suggests he’s a great price at 8/1 with Betfred to make his mark and finish in the top 10 here again.
Back Ryo Hisatsune for Top 10 with bet365
How to watch the ZOZO Championship 2024
Venue – Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, Chiba, Japan
Date – Thursday 24th October – Sunday 27th October
Broadcast – Full coverage on Sky Sports Golf: Thursday-Saturday 4am – 8am, Sunday 5 am – 8 am.
About the author
Dave Tindall is a former golf editor at SkySports.com and Golf365.com and has been writing betting previews for the PGA Tour and European Tour since 1997. He has also written for a range of betting companies, including William Hill and Betfair, as well as being a regular columnist for Rotoworld, The Guardian, Sporting Life, and Planet Sport. His other area of specialty is football while he’s also covered cricket and tennis.
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