2020 ZOZO Championship Picks | Predictions For Tiger’s Return

Brian Sausa, Last Updated: June 28th, 2024 - NJ Sports Betting - Free $3,250 For Sports Bets In New Jersey

The fall West Coast swing ends at Sherwood Country Club and we’re getting you ready for the upcoming week with some 2020 Zozo Championship predictions!

With the return of Tiger Woods to the PGA Tour and another star-studded field, online sportsbooks in New Jersey and beyond are sure to see tons of action for this week’s event, which is the Zozo Championship from October 22 through 25 at Sherwood Country Club in Southern California.

Since the return of golf in June, bettors have enjoyed the wide variety of markets and lucrative odds offered by many PGA Tour markets. So without wasting any time, let’s preview the upcoming event and make some 2020 Zozo Championship predictions!

2020 Zozo Championship Betting Tips – Golf Betting Strategy

The Zozo Championship was established in 2019 as the first PGA event played in Japan, but this year’s event was moved to California due to the pandemic. Stepping up in its place as the host is Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, which was designed by Jack Nicklaus and hosted Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge from 2000 to 2013.

The track is a Par 72 and measures just over 7,000 yards, showcasing the natural landscape of Southern California and presenting several challenges to players. One notable challenge at all Nicklaus courses tends to be the putting surfaces, as is the chase as Muirfield Village. The course is blanketed with 50+ bunkers and the rough will likely be grown out much longer than the 1.5 inches seen for the Champions Tour event played here last year.

Here are some Sherwood CC stats to keep in mind when making Zozo Championship picks:

• Strokes Gained: Off The Tee
• SG: Around The Green
• SG: Approach
• Birdie Or Better Percentage
• SG: Putting

Visit our Golf Betting Strategy guide for tips and advice on how to go about making your 2020 Zozo Championship picks this week!

Best Golf Betting Sites For Zozo Championship Picks At Sherwood

2020 Zozo Championship Predictions – Golf Betting Picks

Make ZOZO Championship Picks At BetMGM

When it comes to choosing golfers, we are interested in players that will get off the tee and into the fairways, which aren’t as wide as what we just saw at Shadow Creek. From there, strong iron play on approach takes over, as does around-the-green play and putting.

Tiger Woods won his own event five times and came in fourth or better on seven of eight occasions with a formula similar to this, so there’s no sense in reinventing the wheel.

This week is once again a 78-player field with no cut, which makes betting on the event far different than a normal tournament. We won’t be able to dig too deep into finishing position markets because there won’t be much value, so matchups could be a market to check out in that case.

Consider the following for you Zozo Championship betting predictions using outright BetMGM golf odds and DraftKings lines for finishing position:

• Rory McIlroy To Win (+1200)

We liked McIlroy to win the CJ Cup but unfortunately, he sandwiched two great rounds between two bad rounds and dropped all the way to a T-21 finish. With that said, there’s reason to go back to Rory heading into this week at Sherwood.

As do most of the elite players, McIlroy dominates Par 5s and short Par 4s. And believe it or not, McIlroy ranked led the field at Shadow Creek in driving distance and Strokes Gained: Off The Tee, two areas that could be huge this week.

Where McIlroy struggled mightily last week was on approach but considering he was a top-20 player with his irons last year, we aren’t putting too much stock in it. If not for an awful last five holes on Sunday, Rory would’ve finished top 10 and everyone would have a different view of him this week.

• Webb Simpson To Win (+1800)

If the goal is to put the ball in the fairway (with less than a driver on many occasions), then find the green with irons and putt for birdies…are there many better choices than Webb Simpson?

Simpson is not a long player by any stretch so the off the tee numbers aren’t amazing, but the approach and tee-to-green numbers from 2020 show that few are as complete a golfer as Webb. He’s an accurate driver of golf ball, one of the best iron players in the world, and fully capable of wielding a hot putter. In a short field over four days, Simpson could rise to the top with an all-around game at decent enough odds.

• Cameron Smith Top 30 (-110)

You can’t fade form, and that’s exactly what Cameron Smith has right now. Following a T-38 finish at the US Open, Smith has gone in the top 10 twice in a row, including an 11th-place finish at Shadow Creek.

This is one of the few golfers we can find some value for a finishing position wager beyond just the top 20 this week with another stacked field. He’s got a very strong around-the-green game and a good putter working right now, so look for the Australian to keep it going as one of your Zozo Championship picks.

2020 Zozo Championship Best Bets

• Rory McIlroy To Win (+1200 at BetMGM), Top 10 (+120 at DraftKings)
• Webb Simpson To Win (+1800 at BetMGM), Top 20 (-150 at DraftKings)
• Collin Morikawa Top 10, Top 20 (+188, -136 at DraftKings)
• Joaquin Niemann Top 20 (+138 at DraftKings)
• Cameron Smith Top 20, Top 30 (+225, -110 at DraftKings)

We will continue to add and update selections until players tee off on Thursday, so check back throughout the week once all of the 2020 Zozo Championship odds are posted!

ABOUT Brian Sausa

Brian Sausa is BonusSeeker’s Copy Editor and lead sports betting pundit. A journalism graduate with an extensive sports background, Brian has been employed by multiple professional leagues including MLB, MiLB (Minor League Baseball), and the NHL. MLB, NHL, IBTimes, Brooklyn Cyclones, FanSided