This week the PGA Tour heads to Japan for the 2022 Zozo Championship – the scene of Tiger Woods’ record-equalling 82nd PGA Tour three years ago. Newly-crowned two-time champion Tom Kim headlines the field along with Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay at Accordia Narashino in a tournament which features no cut. Hideki Matsuyama will be looking to please the home fans once again after cruising to a five-shot victory last time out.
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2022 Zozo Championship details
Venue: Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, Chiba, Japan
Date: October 13-16, 2022
Course stats: Par 70; 7,041 yards
Course summary: This majestic venue is a traditional Japanese tree-lined parklands. Small greens and tight fairways await players, with dog-legs a regular feature to negotiate. A mixture of devilishly long, and optimistically short par-4 holes will test the players ability to play this one tactically, with accuracy sure to be at a premium.
Purse: $11 million
Defending champion: Hideki Matsuyama (-15)
2022 Zozo Championship TV coverage
Thursday: Sky Sports Golf and Main Event from 4am
Friday: Sky Sports Golf from 4am and and Sky Sports Main Event from 4.30am
Saturday: Sky Sports Golf and Main Event from 4.30am
Sunday: Sky Sports Golf from 4am
2022 Zozo Championship golf betting tips
The Banker: Hideki Matsuyama @ 12/1 with Bet365
There isn’t a whole lot that needs to be said about Matsuyama at this event, but let’s do it anyway.
On his course debut in 2019, Matsuyama finished a runner-up behind Woods, but was inside the top three all week. Returning in 2021, the Japanese star won by a sensational five-shots on home soil, shooting 66-65-63-63.
Matsuyama hasn’t produced his very best stuff for a while, but finished the Fortinet Championship with a round of 65 to climb into 25th.
When he won here in 2021, the Masters champion had played more recently, but had finished 6th, 67th and 59th in his first three starts of the new season. While he had warmed up with a 3rd place finish at the CJ Cup the week before finishing behind Tiger, I still think he’s capable of producing his best, even with just a 25th place finish to his name in this season.
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Take the player with course form of 1st and 2nd, who is returning home as a hero as always.
With those hot irons and course experience on his side, Hahn looks a useful longshot bet here.
The Each Way: Mito Pereira @ 35/1 with Bet365
Mito Pereira played his first PGA Tour event in six weeks last week at the Shriners and returned with a bang. Pereira fired a second-round 63 to sit in the lead at the halfway stage before finishing 4th after a solid weekend.
Most notable though was Pereira’s ball-striking numbers, as he ranked 1st in strokes gained approach and 2nd in strokes gained tee to green. That sort of form combined with his long game should see him contend again this week in Japan.
We know Pereira can also play well in this part of the world, with a T4 finish at the Olympics in 2021. The Chilean is knocking on the door for that first PGA Tour win after coming close a couple of times – notably at the PGA Championship – and maybe getting away from the spotlight in Japan will take the pressure off.
The Long Shot: Joel Dahmen @ 140/1 with Bet365
When I think about players that could win in Japan, Joel Dahmen wouldn’t necessarily be the player that shoots to the front of my mind, but his good form of late shows a resurgence and one he can take advantage of in a limited field.
Dahmen has played well outside the US before, winning the Corales in the Dominican Republic. On top of that, Dahmen has ranked 11th and 12th in strokes gained approach in his last two starts, and 1st and 11th in strokes gained tee to green.
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The American’s long game is therefore in phenomenal shape which will be useful on this challenging course. Dahmen definitely looks fair value to crack a top-8 finish here.
Visit Bet365 for more prices.
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