ZOZO Championship betting tips as Xander Schauffele, Hideki Matsuyama, Tom Kim top the market

Tom Kim was unknown to many in golf a little over a year ago but is now a household name and a two-time PGA Tour winner. After his brilliant showing at the Presidents Cup, Kim won his second PGA Tour event when outgunning Patrick Cantlay to win the Shriners Children’s Open. Ad To go toe-to-toe with a player of the stature of Cantlay and force him into an error, on the 18th tee, and it can only be down to the pressure of his opponent not wilting, shows the quality Kim has in the locker.

Zozo ChampionshipZOZO Championship: Tee Times, Prize Money, TV Coverage as Matsuyama and Kim head fieldAN HOUR AGO He swings the club beautifully, has a nifty short game, possesses maturity which belies his tender years and wields the putter like a wizard would a magic wand. Kim pretty much has the full package. If he can add 20 yards off the tee in the way Matt Fitzpatrick did, he would have the golfing world at his feet.

The 20-year-old from South Korea has flown from Las Vegas to Japan for the ZOZO Championship, and the bookmakers have taken note of his rise through the ranks. In what is a high-class, limited-number field at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, Kim is trading at 12/1 — with only Xander Schauffele, Sungjae Im and Hideki Matsuyama ahead of him in the betting. Riding a wave of confidence, we would not put anyone off sticking with Kim once again but going back-to-back is not easy and we’ll look elsewhere.

Many will be drawn to Matsuyama as the defending champion, and a player of huge quality. Course knowledge is of huge benefit, and he will have the backing of the galleries, but the nagging worry is the 2021 Masters champion’s lack of form. He opened 2022 with victory at the Sony Open in Hawaii and finished an