Tiger Woods Hopes to Go Low at ZOZO, Leads in Betting Ticket Slips

Posted on: October 22, 2020, 08:49h. 

Last updated on: October 22, 2020, 10:09h.

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Tiger Woods is back on the PGA Tour for the first time since missing the cut at the US Open in mid-September.

Woods returns to defend his ZOZO Championship title, which he won a year ago this month in Japan by three shots over Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama. Because of COVID-19, the event this year is being held at a place all-too-familiar with Woods: Sherwood Country Club. ZOZO is a Japanese eCommerce, tech, and clothing company.

International travel restrictions prompted ZOZO to host the event in California in order to have the best field possible. However, bettors apparently feel confident that Woods is a solid pick in the 78-man lineup.

The MGM Resorts sportsbook apparently isn’t overly concerned Woods will win, as it’s still gladly welcoming bets on him, his line remaining a distant 33/1. That implies odds of 2.94 percent, a $100 bet returning $3,400.

Wolff vs. Tiger

Tiger Woods is leading in the ticket count, but Matthew Wolff is hot on his heels. The budding star is responsible for nine percent of the wagers but is BetMGM’s largest liability.

The sportsbook says 16.5 percent of its handle is on Wolff. The 21-year-old is also at 33/1. Patrick Cantlay (28/1) is next in terms of money wagered at 10.5 percent. Woods is third at 7.7 percent.

Sherwood is a special place for Woods. It hosted his World Challenge, an invitational event that benefits his Tiger Woods Foundation, from 2000 through 2013. The club was also the site of the 1999 Showdown at Sherwood, the first primetime live golf match between himself and David Duval. Woods has won six times at Sherwood.

Wolff will be paired with Woods for the first two rounds. Saying he’s played Sherwood “hundreds and hundreds of times,” Wolff admits it will be a new experience. It will be his first time with Woods.

“I’m just excited to not only play a course that I feel super comfortable on, but this is my first time playing with Tiger as well, so that’s going to be a lot of fun,” Wolff said.

Front-runners and Props

Jon Rahm is the consensus favorite for this week, the Spaniard ranked No. 2 in the world at 9/1. World No. 3, Justin Thomas, is next at 12/1, and world No. 5, Rory McIlroy, is at 13/1. World No. 4, Collin Morikawa, is at 18/1.

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson is out because of a positive COVID-19 test. He has since recovered, but says his energy remains low and decided to skip the ZOZO.

Notable props at BetMGM:

• Albatross (double eagle) in tournament: 12/1
• Hole-in-one in first round: 9/1
• Wire-to-wire winner: 11/1