The App is Back! Don’t forget to download the NBC Sports EDGE app to receive real-time player news, mobile alerts and track your favorite players. Plus, now you can check out articles and player cards. Get it here!
Crowds should be out in full force this weekend in Chiba, Japan as home country hero, Hideki Matsuyama, takes a one-stroke lead into the final 36-holes of the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP. On the shoulders of his world class iron-play, the Masters Champion followed up his round of 6-under 64 on Thursday with a 2-under 68 on a cold, rainy Friday.
With his pre-tournament press conference making its rounds on social media, Matsuyama said, “... Ball striking, putting, chipping, all of these have not reached the level I want. If my game scored 10 out of 10 at the Masters, now I would say it scores less than one. I will be struggling this week, but I am here in Japan so I am motivated to be in contention.”
[[ad:athena]]
Connecting on 32 of 36 greens in regulation up to this point, it appears as if the 29-year-old is trending towards his Masters form – at least higher than a one on the harsh Matsuyama scale. With the support from his fellow countrymen and women behind him the rest of the way, Matsuyama will look to hold off a number of potential suitors who would love nothing more than to spoil his homecoming.
One of note is Cameron Tringale who put together a round of 4-under 66 in Friday’s difficult conditions. Still looking for his first victory on the PGA Tour, perhaps all the 34-year-old needed was to get out of the United States. Making his 314th start on the PGA Tour this week, Tringale sits at 7-under and trails Matsuyama by one-stroke heading into the weekend.
As for us, Collin Morikawa remains where he began the day at PointsBet Sportsbook. Matching Matsuyama’s round of 2-under 68, he sits seven-strokes off the lead with two rounds to go. Something to keep an eye on over the next couple of days is Morikawa’s play on the 11th hole. Playing the difficult par-4 in 3-over up to this point, the 24-year-old will need figure out said hole if he expects to get into contention.
Editor’s Note: Get an edge with our premium DFS and Betting Golf Tools that are packed with a DFS Optimizer, DFS Projections, Salary Tracker, Edge Driver, Prop Projections, Futures and much more. Gain access to both tools in our EDGE+Max tier and don’t forget to use promo code SAVE10 to get 10% off. Click here to learn more!
Updated Odds to Win (Odds Via PointsBet):
+150: Hideki Matsuyama
+650: Cameron Tringale
+1000: Joaquin Niemann, Matt Wallace
+1100: Tommy Fleetwood
+1400: Brendan Steele
+2200: Alex Noren
+2800: Sebastian Munoz
+3000: Lanto Griffin, Matt Jones
+3300: Collin Morikawa
+4000: Troy Merritt
+6600: Erik van Rooyen
+8000: Luke List, Mackenzie Hughes
+10000: Branden Grace, Jhonattan Vegas
Round 3 Plays (Odds Via PointsBet):
Matt Jones (+150 to finish inside the top-10):
He is already inside the top-10, sitting in a tie for seventh, so he just needs to hold serve over the next 36-holes. Having liked his prospects earlier in the week, Jones narrowly missed out on my pre-tournament place card, but there is still value in this number.
Eighth in driving accuracy and 20th in greens in regulation, the concern for Jones is typically whether or not his ball-striking decides to show up. It appears it has made its way to Narashino Country Club, further strengthening my inkling on the Australian.
At 4-under, the 41-year-old doesn’t trail many on the leaderboard, but he does in the statistical category of putts per green in regulation. While I don’t necessarily believe Jones will improve on the greens – he certainly could – I do expect some regression from his counterparts. Whether Tringale, Tommy Fleetwood, or others, if those currently ahead of him are unable to keep to the putter going, it should only play right into our hands.
PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner, and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.
