The PGA TOUR travels to Asia for the Baycurrent Classic this week, which is formerly known as the ZOZO Championship. For the first time, this event will be played at Yokohama Country Club (par 71, 7,315 yards, bentgrass greens) in Yokohama, Japan. There will be 78 golfers competing this week and no cut.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA $200K Sand Trap [$50K to 1st] (TOUR)
Si Woo Kim ($9,600)
While at a different course in Japan, Kim finished T-6 at last year’s Baycurrent Classic and the four-time PGA TOUR winner is flourishing right now. In his last three starts, Kim has finished T-14, T-19 and T-5, in that order.
That final finish came at the BMW PGA Championship in England and Kim caught fire to finish this event, posting a 4-under 68 on Saturday and an 8-under 64 on Sunday, with that latter number tying for the lowest score of the tournament.
Kim has gained strokes on approach in each of his past three starts and he has shot under par in 10 of these past 12 rounds. Looking to build off his excellent showing at the BMW PGA Championship, Kim should be in the mix for a win this weekend and he could get overlooked with the $9,000 range filled with appealing options.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout ($8,400)
Bezuidenhout’s awesome play continued at the Sanderson Farms Championship last week with a T-6 finish. The South African shot 68 or better in all four of his rounds and he gained strokes in every major category, except OTT. Bezuidenhout has now advanced to the weekend in 10 of his last 12 starts and he has produced five top-25 finishes in the process.
This week’s host course in Yokohama CC is expected to be unchallenging for these professionals and Bezuidenhout has the tools to excel at this likely birdie fest. An elite flat stick is always a necessity at low-scoring events and the 31-year-old has been one of the best putters on the PGA TOUR this season, ranking 11th in SGP. Additionally, Bezuidenhout ranks 23rd in par four performance, which bodes well for Yokohama CC, which is a rare par 71 that features 13 par fours.
Another high finish is likely for Bezuidenhout and he is one of the best targets on the board at $8,400.
Matti Schmid ($7,100)
Schmid is way underpriced for his current form and is an awesome value play for all formats this week. The 27-year-old is fresh off a T-14 finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship last week, where he gained strokes on approach and with his putter at the CC of Jackson. This marked Schmid’s sixth made cut in a row and his eighth top-25 finish of the season.
Schmid ranks 28th in SGP this season and he notably ranks second in strokes gained per round when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds at courses with bentgrass greens, which is the type of putting surface he will be competing on at Yokohama CC this week.
Schmid has gained strokes with his flat stick at four straight tournaments and if he can remain hot with his putter, he has the potential for a top-10 finish this week.
