ZOZO Championship Primer: History, TV, Field, Odds

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Tiger Woods Wins Zozo Championship
Tiger Woods hits his tee shot on the 14th hole during the final round of the Zozo Championship at Accordia Golf Narashino CC on Oct 28, 2019 in Inzai, Chiba, Japan. Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

The PGA Tour moves from Las Vegas to California for the second annual ZOZO Championship at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks.

Tiger Woods will defend his 2019 title as he seeks a record-breaking 83rd PGA Tour victory. Joining Tiger in Southern California will be 61 of the top 63 players from the 2020 FedExCup standings.

As we do each week, here’s a rundown of facts and figures to get you prepped for the ZOZO Championship.


The Skinny

Tournament: ZOZO Championship
Dates: Oct. 22-25, 2020
Where: Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Course: Sherwood Oaks CC
Distance: Par 72, 7073 yards
Architect: Jack Nicklaus
Format: 72 players, 72 holes, no cut, stroke
Purse: $8,000,000
Winning Share: $1,440,000
FedExCup/OWGR Points: 500/70
Defending Champion: Tiger Woods


How To Watch & Follow

Round 1, THU

12:45 pm – 8:00 pm (PGA TOUR LIVE)
05:00 pm – 8:00 pm (GOLF)

Round 2, FRI

12:45 pm – 8:00 pm (PGA TOUR LIVE)
05:00 pm – 8:00 pm (GOLF)

Round 3, SAT

12:45 pm – 8:00 pm (PGA TOUR LIVE)
05:00 pm – 8:00 pm (GOLF)

Round 4, SUN

12:45 pm – 8:00 pm (PGA TOUR LIVE)
05:00 pm – 8:00 pm (GOLF)

Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram


History: ZOZO Championship

Tiger Woods Wins Zozo Championship
Tiger Woods stands on the 16th green during the third round of The ZOZO Championship at Accordia Golf Narashino CC on Oct 27, 2019 in Chiba, Japan. Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images

The one-year old ZOZO Championship may lack a deep history but its lone champion is the game’s most iconic star in Tiger Woods.

The ZOZO Championship was initially inserted into the PGA Tour’s wrap-around portion of its 2019-20 schedule. It essentially filled the void of the former CIMB Classic as one of three stops on the Asian Swing.

Making its debut at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan, the event will be hosted for one year in California before returning to its Japanese home in 2021.

Sherwood Country Club served as the host course of the Hero World Challenge from 2000 through 2013. The Jack Nicklaus-designed masterpiece also acted as the home venue for the Champions Tour’s Invesco QQQ Championship (2016-19).


Defending Champion

Tiger Woods Wins Zozo Championship
Tiger Woods speaks at the award ceremony following his win at the Zozo Championship at Accordia Golf Narashino CC on Oct 28, 2019 in Inzai, Chiba, Japan. Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

With a final-round 67, Tiger Woods claimed his 82nd career PGA Tour title at the inaugural ZOZO Championship to tie Sam Snead for the most career victories.

Woods finished his four rounds at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club on 19-under par, three clear of Hideki Matsuyama.

The win was Woods’ third in his 14 most recent starts, and moved the then 43-year old legend to No. 6 in the Official World Rankings.

Final Top-5 Finishers

Pos-Player-To Par (Final Rd)
1. Tiger Woods -19 (-5)
2. Hideki Matsuyama -16 (-5)
3. Sungjae Im -13 (-7)
3. Rory McIlroy -13 (-5)
5. Gary Woodland -12 (-2)


Field: World Rank & Odds

Rory McIlroy reacts to his shot from the 12th tee as Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods on during the second round of the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park on Aug 7, 2020 in San Francisco, Calif. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

The field in Thousand Oaks, California is stacked with 25 of the world’s top-30 ranked players, including eight of the top-10 players: Jon Ram (No. 2), Justin Thomas (3), Collin Morikawa (4), Rory McIlroy (5), Xander Schauffele (7), Webb Simpson (8), Tyrrell Hatton (9), and Patrick Reed (10).

Other top-ranked players in the field include Matthew Wolff (12), Patrick Cantlay (14), Adam Scott (15), Tommy Fleetwood (16), and Hideki Matsuyama (20), among others.

Three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, in the midst of a prolonged slump, will be joined by several other marquee names who’ve fallen off the map somewhat, including Jason Day, Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler, and Bubba Watson.

Top-5 Betting Favorites

1. Jon Rahm (10-1)
2. Xander Schauffele (11-1)
3. Rory McIlroy (12-1)
3. Justin Thomas (12-1)
5. Webb Simpson (18-1)
5. Collin Morikawa (18-1)


Field: Rank and Odds

ZOZO Championship | Sherwood CC | Thousand Oaks, CA | Oct. 22-25, 2020


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