A limited field will take a hit this week at the Zozo Championship 2024. Traveling to Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan, for the fifth time in tournament history, the PGA Tour welcomes 78 players to the Land of the Rising Sun for what will be the fifth FedEx Cup fall event.
Unlike the previous four tournaments, the Zozo tournament will feature a number of big names. Two-time major champion Xander Schauffele leads the field and makes his first start since the Presidents Cup. After winning Olympic gold in Japan in 2021, Scheufele hopes the good feelings from that victory carry over into this week.
Joining him in the field are a pair of former champions and Presidents’ Cup participants: defending champion Collin Morikawa and 2021 winner Hideki Matsuyama. Sahith Theegala, Sungjae Im, Min Woo Lee, Max Homa and Si Woo Kim complete the Presidents Cup crew expected to play for the first time since the biennial event at Royal Montreal.
While the stars will be out, players looking to solidify their place inside the Aon Next 10 — numbers 51-60 in the FedEx Cup — as well as the top 125 players securing their full-time status on the PGA Tour will also be getting in on the action. Gary Woodland, who has just dropped out of the top 10 since undergoing brain surgery, is looking to continue his move towards the top 125. Rickie Fowler, who has consecutive top-25 finishes in his two starts this fall, is also looking to stay hot.
Will Zalatoris makes his first start since the BMW Championship, while Justin Thomas makes his first start at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club. Curt Kitayama, Bo Hossler and Doug Gehm are among those who have had good results so far in the fall FedEx Cup and are aiming to keep the good things going at the PGA Tour’s annual stop in Japan.
Zozo Championship 2024 schedule
Dates: October 24-27
Location: Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club – Chiba, Japan
Issue: 70 | Yardage: 7,079
Portfolio: $8,500,000
ZOZO 2024 Championship Odds
The golf betting odds below are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook. Check out the latest DraftKings promo to get into the game.
Xander Scheufele (4-1): The world No. 2 has not finished outside the top 15 in a singles tournament since the week after the Masters. It was more than six months ago that Schauffele’s high floor was met with an incredibly high ceiling. Without a weakness in his game, he is always a threat to enter the winner’s circle, although the Accordia National was a somewhat difficult puzzle for him to solve with his best finish coming in the form of T9 in 2022. Collin Morikawa (7 -1) Hideki Matsuyama (8-1): Although 2024 will be very strong, Matsuyama remains a bit of an enigma. Since claiming bronze at the Olympics, the Japanese man has won the St. Jude Championship, withdrawn from the BMW Championship and performed poorly in the Presidents Cup. He should thrive on a golf course that requires a massive diet of vegetables in regulation, but he’s been an afterthought at this tournament since his win in 2021. Sungjae Im (14-1) Sahith Thegalla (16-1): It’s been a year since he hit Theegala has his first win on the PGA Tour, and everything indicates the slide will end soon. He arrived having finished in the top 10 at the Procore Championship and with a strong level of performance in this tournament. While his Presidents Cup debut was disappointing, the freestyle right-hander should get back on the horse this week at a golf course where he has finished T5 and T19 in two outings. Justin Thomas (18-1): After missing the postseason in 2023, Thomas has bounced back and finished 14th in the FedEx Cup standings in 2024. He makes his second trip to Japan for the Zozo Championship this week, where he hasn’t played since Tour Championship, where he was great from tee to green but disappointing with putter in hand. This year’s story, that combination could prove fruitful when looking at a list of past champions that includes Morikawa, Matsuyama and Keegan Bradley. Min Woo Lee (30-1): The fun-loving Australian arrives having just notched a top-10 finish on the Asian Tour in what was a title defense in Macau. Should he be strong enough, Lee’s week will depend on his iron game, which has shown both brilliance and inconsistency throughout his tenure on the PGA Tour. The good news for the 26-year-old is that he finished T6 in his tournament debut last season thanks to a final-round 65. Bo Hausler (30-1) Si Woo Kim (35-1) Will Zalatoris (35-1) Expert Picks for Championship Zozo 2024
Who will win the Zozo Championship, and what long shots will stun the golf world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard and best bets, all from the model that has claimed 13 major golf championships and has risen to nearly $9,500 since June 2020.
