I’m eager to preview the upcoming Zozo Championship, which kicks off on Thursday at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan. Asia welcomes the PGA Tour’s fall swing, featuring a field filled with some of the game’s biggest names.
Xander Schauffele, the world’s number two-ranked player, will be looking to add another trophy to his collection in Japan. This season, Schauffele has excelled, achieving a career-high 15 top-10 finishes, which includes his first two major titles. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist will be making his sixth consecutive start at the Zozo Championship.
Joining Schauffele are a pair of major champions and past Zozo Championship winners, Collin Morikawa and Hideki Matsuyama. Morikawa is attempting to become the first player to successfully defend his title at the Zozo, while Matsuyama, who hails from Ehime, Japan, won the event in 2021 and finished as the runner-up in 2019. Both players will be teeing it up in their first events of the FedEx Cup Fall schedule.
Other notable names in the 78-player field include Justin Thomas, who finished runner-up at the 2020 Zozo, and Rickie Fowler, who is looking to build on his recent solid performances at the Sanderson Farms Championship and Shriners Children’s Open. The international contingent is also strong, with players like Sungjae Im, Si Woo Kim, and Min Woo Lee all returning to action.
Our golf experts have analyzed the field and provided their favorite prop picks and best bets for the event. They’re backing Doug Ghim to beat Will Zalatoris and believe Gary Woodland and Rickie Fowler offer good value in the top-30 and top-20 finish props, respectively.
As for the best bets to win, Schauffele leads the way at +400, followed by Morikawa (+700), Matsuyama (+800), and Thomas (+1800). All four players have proven track records at the Zozo Championship and should be in the mix come Sunday.
The Zozo Championship is the fifth of eight tournaments on the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall schedule, which will finalize the top 125 players who will retain exempt status for the 2025 season. With critical status on the line, the action is sure to be intense as these world-class golfers compete for the title in Japan.
Tune in to Golf Channel from Wednesday through Saturday, 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. ET, to catch all the action from the Zozo Championship. It’s sure to be a thrilling event that golf fans around the world won’t want to miss.
While the Zozo Championship takes center stage, the LPGA and DP World Tour (formerly European Tour) are also in action in Asia this week. The LPGA returns to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the Maybank Championship, while the DP World Tour heads to South Korea for the Genesis Championship.
On the PGA Tour Champions, the top 54 players on the Charles Schwab Cup points list will tee it up in the Simmons Bank Championship in Arkansas, with the top 36 advancing to the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in November.
It’s a busy and exciting week for golf fans, with world-class talent on display across multiple tours. The Zozo Championship promises to be a must-watch event, with Schauffele, Morikawa, and Matsuyama leading the charge in Japan.