What was originally a PGA Tournament played in Japan will now be played in Sherwood, California for 2020, starting Thursday. The Zozo Championship has a contract with the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan through the 2025 season. However, with the coronavirus issues still lingering in both countries, the 2020 version has been moved.
This is a field of 78 players. Those that can play in this event are the Top 60 from last season in the FedEx Cup standings, the top seven on the Japan Golf Tour, the top three players at the Bridgestone Open, and eight sponsor exemptions.
Tiger Woods won this event in 2019. Let’s take a look at online golf betting on the 2020 Zozo Championship odds at Sherwood in our betting preview:
Jon Rahm +900
Coming off a tie for 17th place at the CJ Cup, Rahm will look to bounce back. He is going to have to do so with his putter. He struggled big time, as he finished dead last in putts per GIR.
That’s not what put him on top of the golf world for much of the 2020 calendar year. Rahm’s last win came at the BMW Championship back in late August.
Rahm, along with Xander Schauffele, comes into this event as the favorite. You can grab either one of them at 9/1 odds.
Xander Schauffele +900
Schauffele finished strong and wrapped up a runner-up finish at the CJ Cup. Schauffele’s big hit was Day 3 on Saturday when he shot a 74. Without that, he would probably be looking to go back-to-back this weekend.
Schauffele has finished in the top five in his last three events and has 10 straight finishes inside the Top 25. This should be fun for Schauffele to play in this event, as many expect him to be a contender. He is listed with Rahm as co-favorite among the sports betting picks at +900.
Justin Thomas +1100
Thomas would like to have his first day and his final day back at the CJ Cup. His middle days’ 66 and 68 put him in contention to win. But the 72 and 74 on the front and back of his tournament just did not get it done.
Thomas snapped his streak of back-to-back Top 10 finishes. Thomas has won three events during 2020 and is always in the hunt for a title. He is not the favorite, but pretty close, as you can grab him at 11/1.
Rory Mcllroy +1100
If there was a cut, McIlroy would be your guy. He has failed to miss a cut all season long. McIlroy has finished in the top 22 in four straight events.
At the CJ Cup, he was much like Thomas with poor first and last days. Mcllroy has finished in the top 10 eight times this season.
McIlroy should be fun to follow this week. It will be interesting if he competes at the top like many expect he will. McIlroy is listed at +1100.
Webb Simpson +1400
If we want to talk about finishing in the Top 10, Simpson is the man. Simpson has done that 10 times this season, including two wins. His most recent win was back in June, as he won the RBC Heritage.
Simpson is coming off a 13th-place finish at the Shriners Hospital for Children Open. If this was a Carolina course, Simpson would be in great shape. Despite that, he is still an incredible player and one that expects to win. Simpson is listed at +1900.
Tyrell Hatton +1800
Hatton was impressive overseas, winning the BMW PGA Championship on the European Tour. That was his first win since March. Hatton did it with four straight days under 70.
It was an impressive weekend for Hatton, and he did not disappoint the following weekend with a third-place finish. We’re looking forward to seeing Hatton play this weekend. He is listed at 18/1 odds, which is seventh-best among the field.
This should be a great event. There are plenty of players that have the ability to take down the course and the rest of the participants.
California natives will have a little advantage, but in the end, it’s still the game of golf being played. We hope this preview gives you a better look at who the best plays are for this coming weekend, so you can make some bets at the BetUS Sportsbook and enjoy the golf!
