The PGA Tour returns to Japan for the Zozo Championship with local star Hideki Matsuyama looking to defend against a very strong field.
Best Bet
The consistent Sungjae Im profiles delightfully well here and even at a short quote looks value. The keys to success here are accuracy off the tee, finding greens or getting up-and-down when missing, Im ranks 3rd in Ball Striking, 5th in Scrambling, 8th in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee, 9th in GIR and 12th in Strokes Gained: Around The Green. He finished 3rd in 2019 and he is in great form with six straight Top 15 finishes.
Mid-Tier Bet
Nakashino is played on a fairly unique grass (zoysa) that we only see in a few tournaments on the PGA Tour: the St Jude, the Byron Nelson and the Tour Championship. That puts KH Lee right in the mix of back-to-back wins in the Byron Nelson. He has started the season well too ranking 3rd in Driving Accuracy, 7th in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee and 9th in GIR.
Value Bet
Expecting a big showing from Andrew Putnam this week. The unheralded type ranks 6th in Scrambling and 20th in Strokes Gained: Around The Green. Finished 5th in the most recent staging of the St Jude. Made the cut here both times and comes in on the back of seven straight cuts that includes three Top 12 finishes.
Longshot Bet
Hodges profiles well at a big price. Ranks Top 20 in Par 3 Scoring and GIR. Finished 13th in the 2022 St Jude. Is a strong play in Top 20/30 markets.
