Phil Mickelson, 2-for-2 on Champions circuit, looking to get on track at Zozo Championship

Phil Mickelson has taken care of business on the PGA Tour Champions circuit. Now he hopes to get his affairs in order on the PGA Tour.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Phil Mickelson has taken care of business on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.

Now he hopes to get his affairs in order on the PGA Tour.

Mickelson said he has some momentum heading into this week’s Zozo Championship at Sherwood after he won the Champions’ Dominion Energy Charity Classic last week in Virginia. The five-time major champion closed with a 7-under 65 to finish at 17-under 199 to topple fellow Masters champion Mike Weir by three shots. Mickelson, 50, who won the Ozarks National in Missouri in August, became the third player to win his first two starts on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, joining Jim Furyk and Bruce Fleisher.

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Mickelson’s aggressive nature plays well on the senior circuit, especially with the courses set up much differently than they are on the PGA Tour. In other words, the PGA Tour, obviously, is a different kettle of fish.

“So it’s been fun for me to play over (on the PGA Tour Champions),” Mickelson said. “I seem to get a little bit of confidence and I’m hoping to bring that over into this event as well. But the penalty for a miss is much more severe on the regular tour, the pin placements are a little bit more difficult. The length isn’t as different as I thought. We play the back tees on the Champions tour and it can play every bit as long, but the courses out here are a lot more penalizing.

“I have to be a little bit more precise.”

Mickelson, ranked No. 58 in the official world rankings, missed the cut in the U.S. Open in his most recent start on the PGA Tour. While he has three top-3s on the PGA Tour this year in 14 starts, he’s missed seven cuts and finished worse than a tie for 41st on four occasions. His most recent of 44 PGA Tour titles came in the 2019 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

And the 78-man field in this week’s Zozo Championship is loaded and the course at Sherwood Country Club will be a heightened challenge for Mickelson. But he likes where his game is at, especially with the shortest club in his bag.

“I’ve been putting well,” Mickelson said. “My putter’s been really good the last couple of months. I putted poorly starting the year and it’s really come around. I’m excited to get to (Augusta National for the Masters) putting the way I am.  I think I can get in contention just based solely on as well as I’ve been putting.”

The same goes for Sherwood and the Zozo Championship.

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Adam Scott out of Zozo Championship after positive COVID-19 test

PGA Tour player Adam Scott tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the Zozo Championship at Sherwood.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Adam Scott tested positive for COVID-19 and has withdrawn from the Zozo Championship at Sherwood.

Scott, 40, tested positive earlier this week at an on-site facility near Sherwood Country Club. He is the 15th Tour player to test positive since the PGA Tour returned in June after a 13-week break due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

“While it’s difficult news to receive, as I really looked forward to playing this week, my focus now is on recovery for the final stretch of the fall,” Scott said Wednesday in a release.

Scott is ranked No. 15 in the official world rankings. He has 31 wins worldwide, including 14 on the PGA Tour. He won the Masters in 2013. His most recent victory came earlier this year in the Genesis Invitational.

First alternate Jim Herman will replace Scott in the field.

Scott is the second high-profile player to test positive in as many weeks. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson withdrew from last week’s CJ Cup at Shadow Creek after testing positive for COVID-19. On Monday, Johnson decided not to play in the Zozo Championship at Sherwood.

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2020 Zozo Championship Matchups, Placings and First-Round Leader Bets and Predictions

The best value bets in the 2020 Zozo Championship betting odds with matchups, placings and first-round leader (FRL) picks, and predictions.

Preparation for the 2020 Masters Tournament continues this week for many of the world’s top golfers with the Zozo Championship at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California. The 78-man field is fronted by Tiger Woods and seven of the top-10 golfers in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings. Below, we’ll look for the best value bets in the 2020 Zozo Championship betting odds with tournament matchups, placings and first-round leader (FRL) picks, predictions and best bets.

2020 Zozo Championship: Matchup bets

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 5:34 p.m. ET.

Collin Morikawa (-125) vs. Patrick Reed

Morikawa returns to tournament play in the Golden State for the first time since his 2020 PGA Championship win at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, California. He finished T-12 at the CJ Cup @ Shadow Creek last week after missing the cut at both the US Open and Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Reed returns to North America following a T-3 finish at the BMW PGA Championship. Back Morikawa and his superior approach game as only a slight favorite in this matchup.

Also see:

Daniel Berger (-118) vs. Harris English

Berger finished just T-28 last week to English’s 10th-place showing. Berger was much better off-the-tee and it has been a prominent strength of his game since the Tour’s mid-June return and his win at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

2020 Zozo Championship: Placing bets

Top 5: Bubba Watson (+650)

We cashed a top-10 ticket on Watson last week in Las Vegas, Nevada, and we’ll up the ante a bit at another course well-suited to his game. The two-time Masters champ is likely making his final preparations for Augusta National and his shot-shaping abilities will be a strength at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Sherwood CC.

Looking to place a legal, online bet on the 2020 Zozo Championship? Get some action on it in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGMBet Now!

Top 10: Corey Conners (+800)

Conners finished just T-61 last week at the no-cut CJ Cup. It was a poor performance across the board, including an uncharacteristic 1.24 strokes lost per round from tee-to-green, according to Data Golf. Look for him to get back on track after a pair of quality results at Nicklaus’ Muirfield Village Golf Club in the summer.

Top 20: Takumi Kanaya (+600)

The recently-turned professional Japanese star will play his first PGA Tour event as a pro. The 22-year-old won on his home tour last year and made the cut at the 2019 Masters before being named the top amateur golfer in the world. He would be ranked 20th in the Golfweek rankings if he had enough events played to qualify.

2020 Zozo Championship: First-round leader bets

Matthew Wolff (+3500)

Wolff has a home-course advantage this week having gone to high school just seven miles from Sherwood CC. The runner-up at the US Open struggled to a 73rd-place finish last week but has the long game and approach skills needed here.

Jordan Spieth (+6600)

Sherwood CC was called a good spot to prepare for Augusta National by Rory McIlroy. As such, it should suit Spieth well after a T-38 finish last week snapped a stretch of three straight missed cuts that included the US Open. He opened with a first round of 69 or better in five of his nine events after the Tour’s restart through the end of the 2019-20 season.

Get some action on the 2020 Zozo Championship by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

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Zozo Championship at Sherwood Thursday tee times, TV and streaming info

Check out the tee times, pairings, TV info and streaming info for the Zozo Championship at Sherwood.

Major golf headlines are typically scarce this time of year. But with an unprecedented November Masters on the horizon, and Tiger Woods in the field at Sherwood Country Club this week for the relocated Zozo Championship, ears are perking up.

Woods hasn’t won since he captured his record-tying 82nd PGA Tour title last fall in Japan in the inaugural Zozo Championship. That event moved to Sherwood this year, a familiar venue for Woods, because of the global pandemic.

The 78-man field features a number of marquee players, from PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa to Rory McIlroy to last week’s runner-up Xander Schauffele. Dustin Johnson withdrew from the event a week after a positive COVID test.

From tee times to TV info, here’s everything you need to know for the opening round of play on Thursday. All times listed in Eastern.

Tee times

1st tee

Tee time Players
12:50 p.m. Mackenzie Hughes, Carlos Ortiz, Takumi Kanaya
1:01 p.m. Jason Kokrak, Sungjae Im, Sebastian Munoz
1:12 p.m. Tyler Duncan, Corey Conners, Tony Finau
1:23 p.m. Marc Leishman, Lanto Griffin, Rickie Fowler
1:34 p.m. Richy Werenski, Paul Casey, Billy Horschel
1:45 p.m. Andrew Landry, Gary Woodland, Brendan Steele
1:56 p.m. Danny Lee, Harry Higgs, Brad Kennedy
2:07 p.m. Russell Henley, Harris English, Jazz Janewattananond
2:18 p.m. Michael Thompson, Ryan Palmer, Matthew Fitzpatrick
2:29 p.m. Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovlan, Satoshi Kodaira
2:40 p.m. Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed
2:51 p.m. Webb Simpson, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson
3:02 p.m. Adam Hadwin, Talor Gooch, Mikumu Horikawa

10th tee

Tee time Players
12:50 p.m. Brian Harman, Chan Kim, Naoki Sekito
1:01 p.m. Daniel Berger, Patrick Cantlay, Matt Kuchar
1:12 p.m. Cameron Smith, Brendon Todd, Joaquin Niemann
1:23 p.m. Kevin Kisner, Jordan Spieth, Shugo Imahira
1:34 p.m. Jon Rahm, Justin Rose, Hideki Matsuyama
1:45 p.m. Tiger Woods, Matthew Wolff, Xander Schauffele
1:56 p.m. Alex Noren, Scottie Scheffler, Ryo Ishikawa
2:07 p.m. Abraham Ancer, Tom Hoge, Rikuya Hoshino
2:18 p.m. Cameron Champ, Dylan Frittelli, Bubba Watson
2:29 p.m. Nick Taylor, Kevin Na, Adam Long
2:40 p.m. Adam Scott, Jason Day, Tommy Fleetwood
2:51 p.m. Byeong Hun An, Mark Hubbard, Shaun Norris
3:02 p.m. Kevin Streelman, Joel Dahmen, Gunn Charoenkul

TV, streaming information

Thursday Oct. 22

TV

PGA Tour Live on NBC Sports Gold: 12:45-5 p.m. (featured groups, featured holes)

Twitter: 12:45-1:45 p.m.

Golf Channel on fuboTV (watch for free): 5-8 p.m.

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 2-8 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 23

TV

PGA Tour Live on NBC Sports Gold: 12:45-5 p.m. (featured groups, featured holes)

Twitter: 12:45-1:45 p.m.

Golf Channel on fuboTV (watch for free): 5-8 p.m.

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 2-8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 24

TV

PGA Tour Live on NBC Sports Gold: 12:45-5 p.m. (featured groups, featured holes)

Twitter: 12:45-1:45 p.m.

Golf Channel on fuboTV (watch for free): 5-8 p.m.

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 3-8 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 25

TV

PGA Tour Live on NBC Sports Gold: 12:45-5 p.m. (featured groups, featured holes)

Twitter: 12:45-1:45 p.m.

Golf Channel on fuboTV (watch for free): 5-8 p.m.

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 3-8 p.m.

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Tiger Woods is in a familiar place in his unfamiliar run-up to the Masters

Thanks to COVID, Tiger Woods finds himself in California three weeks before the unprecedented November Masters.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – En route to Magnolia Lane over the years, Tiger Woods has nearly always followed the same roadmap on his inner GPS.

Play a few tournaments in Florida, sharpen his game at his compound in the Sunshine State, occasionally make a reconnaissance trip to Augusta National.

This year, however, with COVID-19 turning the world upside down, the five-time Masters champion, and this year’s defending champion, finds himself in California three weeks before the unprecedented November Masters.

“My run-up to Augusta is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” Woods said Tuesday after a 9-hole practice round at Sherwood Country Club, home this week to the relocated Zozo Championship at Sherwood. “That’s just the way it is. The whole idea is to be ready in a few weeks and whether or not that’s playing one more event, whether that’s Houston or just playing here at Zozo, I’m just making sure that I’m ready for Augusta.

“(The Masters) is not normally this time of year. We’re not in a Florida swing. This is all different. This whole year’s been different for all of us. I can’t simulate the normal ramp-up that I normally have, and I don’t think anyone else can either.

“It will be different for all of us.”

ZOZO: Tee times, TV info | Tiger’s odds | Podcast

What does feel familiar to Woods is Sherwood. From 2000-2013, Woods hosted what is now known as the Hero World Challenge at this hilly Jack Nicklaus track some 40 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. Woods played 12 times during that stretch and won five times, finished second five times, tied for fourth and tied for 14th in 2005. His scoring average in those 48 rounds was 68.46.

When Woods saw Sherwood for the first time in seven years on Tuesday, a homey feel took over. Yes, the course has changed but Woods can call upon all that success he has had here this week.

“The shape of the golf course hasn’t changed, but the greens have changed since the last time I’ve played,” Woods said. “They’re a little bit flatter, a little bit bigger. Some of the contours are gone and so it’s a bit different. It’s on the softer side, and I think that some of the redesign that they’ve done here and the redo has made this golf course certainly more member-friendly.

“I think that the scores will be awfully low this week.”

Sherwood Country Club
Tiger Woods tees off on the second hole during the third round of the World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012.

Woods has always gone low here at Sherwood, with one reason being the man he’s chasing for the most major championships in golf: Nicklaus.

“Well, this golf course is typical Jack. It’s pretty open in the fairways, but the second shots are very difficult and you have to miss the golf ball in the correct spots,” Woods said. “My iron game has been one of the stable parts of my game and normally Nicklaus golf courses reward good iron play. Over the course of my entire career, I’ve won on a lot of Nicklaus golf courses because of that.”

Woods hasn’t won since he captured his record-tying 82nd PGA Tour title last fall in Japan in the inaugural Zozo Championship. In fact, this will be Woods’ first title defense since the 2014 World Golf Championships-Firestone Invitational, as he didn’t make it to the 2019 Tour Championship to defend his 2018 title and he has yet to be able to defend his 2019 Masters victory.

The former world No. 1 has slipped to No. 28 and has just one top-10 in seven starts in 2020. He missed the cut in his most recent start in the U.S. Open last month. While he’s been bothered by his surgically repaired but still troublesome back at times, he said he’s healthy and ready to resume his trek to the Masters.

“My game’s definitely better than it was at the U.S. Open,” he said. “I feel a little bit more prepared, a little bit better, and hopefully that translates into playing the golf course.”

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Zozo Championship odds, predictions and PGA Tour best bets

Feeling lucky? Check out the odds, predictions and PGA Tour best bets for this week’s Zozo Championship.

The PGA Tour remains on the West Coast but shifts south to Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California, for the 2020 Zozo Championship.

The Zozo is the second of two events relocated from Asia for the Tour’s “super season” and follows up Jason Kokrak’s win at the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek. Below, we look at the 2020 Zozo Championship betting odds, and make our PGA Tour picks and best bets to win.

This event again features an elite 78-man field, including defending champion Tiger Woods, who has won five times at Sherwood. There will also be no cut this week.

Favorite

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 2:40 p.m. ET.

Tiger Woods (+2800)

Woods returns to play for the first time since a missed cut at the U.S. Open. He’ll defend his tournament title but at a different course after the 2019 event was played in Japan.

Few in the field have any sort of professional experience at Sherwood Country Club, but Woods unsurprisingly leads that small group. He has averaged 3.68 strokes gained per round on the field across 32 career rounds here, according to Data Golf. The last large event played at Sherwood was Woods’ 2014 World Challenge.

These small fields play to his favor with a shorter window of tee times. His last three victories all came in small-field events (Zozo Championship, Masters, Tour Championship).

Looking to place a bet on the 2020 Zozo Championship? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

Contender

Bubba Watson (+3300)

Watson finished in a tie for seventh last week while ranking second in the field with 2.75 Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green per round and third with 1.45: SG: Approach. A poor putting performance with 0.42 strokes lost per round on the greens did him in.

He has 16 career rounds played here with an average of 1.57 strokes gained per round. Sherwood was touted by Rory McIlroy as a good training ground for Augusta National, where Watson has two victories as one of the Tour’s best shot-shapers.

Long shot

Marc Leishman (+12500)

Leishman tied for 52nd last week in Las Vegas, following missed cuts at the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. He has been in poor form since the PGA Tour’s mid-June restart with a top showing of T-40 at the Memorial Tournament.

Still, the +12500 odds are far too great of a value to overlook for a 12-time winner, including five on the PGA Tour. His last win was at the Farmers Insurance Open in January at Torrey Pines Golf Course in California and against similar top competition.

Get some action on the 2020 Zozo Championship by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Dustin Johnson withdraws from Zozo Championship one week after positive COVID-19 test

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson has withdrawn from the Zozo Championship one week after a positive COVID-19 test.

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A week after a positive test for COVID-19 forced Dustin Johnson to withdraw from the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek, the world No. 1 has now withdrawn from this week’s Zozo Championship.

“While he is feeling much better, he is still a bit low on energy and feels it would be best to wait and resume his schedule in Houston,” said Johnson’s agent David Winkle via text to Golfweek.

According to a release from the PGA Tour, Johnson started experiencing symptoms last week and notified the Tour. He was administered a COVID-19 test and the positive result forced him to withdraw from last week’s tournament, where Jason Kokrak earned his first PGA Tour win.

As noted by his agent, the reigning FedEx Cup champion is scheduled to be back on Tour at the Vivint Houston Open, Nov. 5-8 at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston. Johnson won three times last season and over his last five starts – two in majors – his worst finish is a tie for sixth.

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Tiger Woods back in action at Sherwood Country Club for Zozo Championship

Golfweek’s Adam Woodard previews the 2020 Zozo Championship at Sherwood Country Club, where Tiger Woods will try to defend his title at a course he really likes.

Golfweek’s Adam Woodard previews the 2020 Zozo Championship at Sherwood Country Club, where Tiger Woods will try to defend his title at a course he really likes.

Tiger Woods back in action at Sherwood Country Club for Zozo Championship

It’s been almost a year since Tiger Woods tied Sam Snead’s mark of 82 career PGA Tour victories.

It’s been almost a year since Tiger Woods tied Sam Snead’s mark of 82 career PGA Tour victories. To be more precise, it’s been 355 days since Woods hoisted the trophy at the inaugural Zozo Championship.

He’ll get the chance to get No. 83 this week at a place he’s familiar with: Sherwood Country Club just outside Thousand Oaks, California. Woods hosted the Hero World Challenge at Sherwood from 2000-2013.

The 44-year-old’s 82nd win is his most recent victory on Tour. Since that win, Woods has played seven times, finishing fourth at the Hero World Challenge, T-9 at the Farmers Insurance Open and 68th at the Genesis Invitational. After the Tour paused its season in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, Woods competed four times. His best finish was a T-37 at the PGA Championship. He did not make the Tour Championship after finishing T-51 at the BMW Championship.

Chevron World Challenge
Tiger Woods plays from the fairway of the 18th hole during the second round of the 2011 Chevron World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club. Photo by Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

The 15-time major champion most recently missed the cut at the U.S. Open last month after shooting rounds of 73-77 at Winged Foot.

“I am excited to defend my title at the (Zozo Championship,)” Woods wrote on Instagram about three weeks ago on the day he committed to the event. “It is disappointing that we will not be able to play in Japan this year, but Sherwood Country Club will be a great backdrop for what I know will be a great Championship.”

Last year’s Zozo was the first-ever Tour event in Japan. This week, the Zozo will make a one-time stop at Sherwood, one of the many changes to the golf schedule brought on by the global coronavirus pandemic.

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Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy lead list of PGA Tour stars committed to CJ Cup at Shadow Creek and Zozo Championship at Sherwood

Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy lead the list of PGA Tour stars committed to the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek and Zozo Championship at Sherwood.

The stars are aligning for the fall portion of the PGA Tour’s super season.

On Monday night the Tour announced a handful of big-name commitments to next month’s CJ Cup at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas and the Zozo Championship at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California.

Justin Thomas, who won the inaugural CJ Cup in 2017 and again last year, will look to defend his title against a field of the game’s best. Last season’s FedExCup champion Dustin Johnson, World No. 2 Jon Rahm, four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and recent U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau will lead the charge in Sin City. Also in the field, you ask? Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose and Jordan Spieth, to name a few.

Normally held on Jeju Island, Korea, the CJ Cup is being held in Las Vegas, Oct. 15-18, this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Same goes for the Zozo Championship, Oct. 22-25, which played its inaugural event last year in Chiba, Japan, at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club.

Phil Mickelson will tee it up at the Zozo, joining Johnson, Rahm, McIlroy, Fleetwood, Fowler, Rose and Spieth who will all play in consecutive weeks. Despite that list of talent, the biggest name in the field is none other than Tiger Woods, the event’s defending champion.

“Adding this elite group of players to these fields alongside Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas and Hideki Matsuyama lends a strong hand in showcasing a powerful lineup of PGA Tour stars at both the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek and the Zozo Championship at Sherwood,” said the PGA Tour’s said Ty Votaw via a press release. “We are thrilled to offer world-class competition this October to our fans in Korea, Japan, the United States and across the globe. I would like to express our appreciation again to our title sponsors, CJ Group and Zozo Inc., for their commitment in moving their tournaments from Korea and Japan respectively to the U.S. for this year only.”

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