After failing to win on the PGA Tour since turning pro in 2008, Jason Kokrak was able to capitalize with some excellent play at the CJ Cup in Las Vegas. Kokrak putted the lights out en route to finishing 20-under at Shadow Creek. On the week, Kokrak gained 2.57 strokes putting on the field. The 80/1 longshot was very familiar to Shadow Creek and said it felt like home to him. It was a brilliant win in a very stacked field.
The PGA Tour will now head west to California for the Zozo Championship. Another 78 man field will tee it up at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks. Similar to last week, it will be another no-cut event with a star-studded field. This tournament will feature the top 60 available PGA Tour players from last year’s FedEx Cup Standings.
Tiger Woods is in the field to defend his Zozo Championship title he won in Narashino, Japan in 2019. This will be Tiger’s first appearance since his missed cut at the U.S. Open in early September. The runner-up from last week’s CJ Cup, Xander Schauffele is the betting favorite to begin the week. Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, and Tyrell Hatton are the next highest priced golfers on DraftKings. Dustin Johnson will be unable to defend his course record of 61 here due to his recovery from COVID-19.
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Course Preview
The second installment of the Zozo Championship will be played at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California. It has yet to play host to a regular PGA Tour event in his history. Sherwood will play as a Par 72 and measure just 7,073 yards. It will be one of the shortest tracks the players will see this season. The course is a Jack Nicklaus, classical design that features tree-lined fairways and multiple doglegs.
With five Par 5s on the scorecard, there will be plenty of birdie and eagle opportunities. It’s a tactical course, with many strategic bunkers and water hazards in play. Excellent approach play and solid putting on these fast Bentgrass greens will be crucial.
Key Stats
- Strokes Gained: Tee-to-green
- Par 5 scoring
- Opportunities Gained
- Performance on Bentgrass Greens
Recommended Plays
Xander Schauffele ($11,200)
Schauffele has two runner-ups in his last three events. Even more impressive, he has 10 consecutive top-25 finishes. He has zero holes in his golf game and has solidified himself as one of the best. Schauffele ranks first in the field in Par 5 scoring and third in birdie-or-better over the last 24 rounds.
Tyrrell Hatton ($10,000)
Fresh off a win on the Euro Tour a few weeks ago, Hatton flew into Las Vegas and performed magnificently. He finished third while leading the field in strokes gained: approach, on the week. Hatton is known to be a streaker golfer so ride the form while it’s hot.
Patrick Reed ($9,600)
Reed should set up well here due to his excellent track record on both Bentgrass greens and in non-cut events. The polarizing golfer was last seen at the BMW PGA Championship on the Euro Tour a few weeks ago and finished third. Over the past 24 rounds on Bentgrass, Reeds ranks second in total strokes gained.
Bubba Watson ($8,700)
Now is the time to play Watson, who usually comes in at a low ownership number. He has started to play some excellent golf. Bubba finished seventh last week at the CJ Cup while leading the field in strokes gained: tee-to-green, and finishing second in approach. He is an excellent Par 5 scorer due to his length off the tee so he should set up well here.
Joaquin Niemann ($8,400)
The young Chilean is really starting to perform very well in stacked fields. He has five straight top-30 finishes, including a third at the BMW Championship and a sixth at the CJ Cup last week. Niemann ranks seventh in strokes gained: off-the-tee in the field over the last 24 rounds.
Russell Henley ($8,100)
Henley was the leader after the third round of the CJ Cup last week. He is usually known for his solid ball-striking and approach play, but at Shadow Creek, his putter came to life. If he can find more success on these fast, Bentgrass greens, I see Henley racking up plenty of birdies once again.
Cam Smith ($7,200)
Smith’s golf game has really come to life over the last 24 rounds. Over that time period, Smith ranks fifth in the field in opportunities gained. He is one of the better putters on Tour and now has three top-25 finishes in his last four events.
View free betting picks for the Zozo Championship at BettingPros
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Nic Turner is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Nic, check out his archive and follow him @sportzbandit.
