The PGA TOUR returns to Japan for the 2025 Baycurrent Classic, ushering in a new era for the event as it makes its debut at Yokohama Country Club.
Formerly known as the Zozo Championship, this co-sanctioned PGA TOUR and Japan Golf Tour tournament will feature an elite international field competing on a composite layout that combines 16 holes from Yokohama’s West Course and 2 from the East. Demanding accuracy off the tee and precision with the irons, the course setup should reward players with complete control over their ball striking and course management.
Let’s break down the tournament, explore the course, and highlight my best betting picks for the 2025 Baycurrent Classic.
Tournament Information:
Social Media:
Course Information:
Course Architect:
Comparable Courses:
- Narashino Country Club – Zozo Championship (2019, 2020-2024)
- TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North) – 2024 RBC Canadian Open
Comparable Location (Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan):
Designer Link (Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (2014/15)):
- The Riviera Country Club – Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore (1992) Renovation – The Genesis Invitational
- Kapalua Resort (Plantation Course) – Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw (Design – 1991)/ (Renovation 1992) – The Sentry
Comparable Yardage (7,315 Yards):
Comparable Greens (Bentgrass):
Comparable Average Green Size (6,500 sq. ft.):
TV Information (all times ET):
Weather:
Course/ Tournament History:
The Baycurrent Classic, originally known as the Zozo Championship, is a professional golf tournament co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and the Japan Golf Tour. Established in 2019, it marked the first PGA Tour event held in Japan, with the inaugural tournament at Narashino Country Club where Tiger Woods claimed his 82nd PGA Tour victory, tying Sam Snead’s all-time record. In 2020, the event was temporarily moved to Sherwood Country Club in California due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and was solely sanctioned by the PGA Tour. The tournament returned to Japan in 2021, resuming its co-sanctioned status. In December 2024, Tokyo-based consulting firm Baycurrent Inc. became the title sponsor, leading to the tournament’s renaming and relocation to Yokohama Country Club in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Previous Tournament Venues:
| Duration | Course | Location: |
| Present | Yokohama Country Club | Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan |
| 2020 | Sherwood Country Club | Lake Sherwood, California, United States |
| 2019, 2021-2024 | Narashino Country Club | Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, Japan |
Previous Tournament Names:
Tournament Records:
- 72-Hole Record:
- 260, Nico Echavarria (2024 – Narashino CC)
- 18-Hole Record:
- 61, John Huh (second round, 2022 – Narashino CC), Richy Werenski (second round, 2020 at Sherwood CC)
Course Guide/ Scorecard:
Featured/ Signature Hole(s): 12
Key Statistics:
The Baycurrent Classic takes place at Yokohama Country Club. Here are the key statistics to keep an eye on for this week’s event.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Around the Green
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass)
Good Drives Gained
Scrambling Gained
Par 4 Scoring
Par 4 Scoring: 400-450 Yards
Par 5 Scoring: 500-550 Yards
Comparable Course History
The Field:
The 2025 Baycurrent Classic will feature a field of 78 players, with five of the top 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking set to compete.
Basis of qualification for each entrant this week:
- Winner BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup
- Winner of the 2025 ACN Championship
- Top 7 available from JGTO Prize Money List through Japan Open
- Sponsors Exemptions – Restricted
- Current Season’s JGTO Membership
- Sponsors Exemptions Unrestricted
- Top 60 on Current Season’s FedExCup Points list thru TOUR Champ
Previous Winners in the Field (Event):
- Nicolas Echavarria (2024), Collin Morikawa (2023), Hideki Matsuyama (2021)
Debutants in the Field (Event):
- Aldrich Potgieter, Brian Campbell, Bud Cauley, Camilo Villegas, Danny Walker, Isaiah Salinda, Jackson Suber, Jesper Svensson, Joe Highsmith, Karl Vilips, Kevin Roy, Kota Kaneko, Kristoffer Ventura, Matt McCarty, Matthias Schmid, Max McGreevy, Michael Thorbjornsen, Rasmus Hojgaard, Ricky Castillo, Ryan Gerard, Taiga Kobayashi, Takanori Konishi, Tatsunori Shogenji, Vincent Whaley, William Mouw
Exemptions:
- Sahith Theegala: Sponsors Exemptions – Restricted
- Max Homa: Sponsors Exemptions – Restricted
- Camilo Villegas: Sponsors Exemptions – Restricted
- Kaito Onishi: Sponsors Exemptions – Restricted
- Taiga Kobayashi: Sponsors Exemptions – Unrestricted
Notable Withdraws/ Changes:
- Tony Finau WD / Sam Ryder IN
The Odds:
Here are the current favorites for this week’s event:
| Golfer | Odds | Last 5 Finishes on the PGA TOUR (Recent -> Past) | Last 5 Finishes at the Baycurrent Classic (Recent -> Past) |
| Xander Schauffele | +1000 | T28-T22-T7-T8-T61 | T41-T38-T9-T28-T17 |
| Collin Morikawa | +1600 | T43-T19-T33-T22-MC | T54-WON-T45-T7-T50 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | +1800 | 29-T26-T17-T19-T16 | T46-T51-T40-WON-T28 |
| Kurt Kitayama | +2000 | T19-T9-T31-WON-T14 | 5-T16-T29 |
Recent Horses for Courses (Baycurrent Classic):
This is the first time the Baycurrent Classic will be held at Yokohama Country Club, so there is no course history to reference for this week.
| Zozo Championship | Zozo Championship | Zozo Championship | Zozo Championship | ||
| Narashino Country Club | Narashino Country Club | Narashino Country Club | Narashino Country Club | ||
| Golfer | Events Played | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Eric Cole | 2 | T6 | T2 | – | – |
| Kurt Kitayama | 3 | 5 | T16 | T29 | |
| Taylor Moore | 3 | T11 | T21 | T12 | – |
| Sungjae Im | 5 | T13 | T12 | T29 | – |
| Lee Hodges | 3 | T16 | T21 | T23 | – |
| Wyndham Clark | 3 | – | – | T16 | T25 |
| Emiliano Grillo | 4 | – | T10 | 4 | 73 |
Recent Donkeys for Courses (Baycurrent Classic):
This is the first time the Baycurrent Classic will be held at Yokohama Country Club, so there is no course history to reference for this week.
| Zozo Championship | Zozo Championship | Zozo Championship | Zozo Championship | ||
| Narashino Country Club | Narashino Country Club | Narashino Country Club | Narashino Country Club | ||
| Golfer | Events Played | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Kaito Onishi | 3 | 77 | T64 | 76 | – |
| Garrick Higgo | 2 | – | WD | – | T75 |
Previous Winners Scores, Prices, and Strokes Gained (Rank at Tournament):
- 2024: Nico Echavarria (-20) – Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club
- Price: 250-1
| SG: Off the Tee | SG: Tee to Green | SG: Approach | SG: Around the Green | SG: Putting |
| 26th | 2nd | 2nd | 26th | 8th |
- 2023: Collin Morikawa (-14) – Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club
- Price: 11-1
- 2022: Keegan Bradley (-15) – Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club
- Price: 40-1
- 2021: Hideki Matsuyama (-15) – Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club
- Price: 16-1
- 2020: Patrick Cantlay (-23) – Sherwood Country Club
- Price: 28-1
Previous Winners Incoming Form (Last 5 Starts):
- 2024: Nico Echavarria
- MC – Shriners Children’s Open (PGA)
- T11 – Black Desert Championship (PGA)
- MC – Sanderson Farms Championship (PGA)
- MC – Procore Championship (PGA)
- T22 – Wyndham Championship (PGA)
- 2023: Collin Morikawa
- T6 – TOUR Championship (PGA)
- T25 – BMW Championship (PGA)
- T13 – FedEx St. Jude Championship (PGA)
- MC – The Open Championship (MAJ)
- T2 – Rocket Mortgage Classic (PGA)
- 2022: Keegan Bradley
- T5 – Sanderson Farms Championship (PGA)
- T58 – BMW Championship (PGA)
- MC – FedEx St. Jude Championship (PGA)
- T44 – Rocket Mortgage Classic (PGA)
- MC – The Open Championship (MAJ)
- 2021: Hideki Matsuyama
- T59 – THE CJ CUP (PGA)
- T67 – Shriners Children’s Open (PGA)
- T6 – Fortinet Championship (PGA)
- T26 – TOUR Championship (PGA)
- T46 – BMW Championship (PGA)
- 2020: Patrick Cantlay
- T38 – THE CJ CUP (PGA)
- T8 – Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (PGA)
- T43 – U.S. Open (MAJ)
- T12 – BMW Championship (PGA)
- MC – THE NORTHERN TRUST (PGA)
Previous Winners Finishes at Event:
2024: Nico Echavarria
- Tournament Debut
2023: Collin Morikawa
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Zozo Championship | Zozo Championship | Zozo Championship | Zozo Championship |
| Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club | Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club | Sherwood Country Club | Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club |
| T45 | T7 | T50 | T22 |
2022: Keegan Bradley
| 2021 | 2019 |
| Zozo Championship | Zozo Championship |
| Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club | Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club |
| T7 | T13 |
2021: Hideki Matsuyama
| 2020 | 2019 |
| Zozo Championship | Zozo Championship |
| Sherwood Country Club | Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club |
| T28 | 2 |
2020: Patrick Cantlay
- Tournament Debut
Outright Picks:
Xander Schauffele (+1000) – DraftKings
Kurt Kitayama (+2200) – BetMGM
Kevin Yu (+2800) – BetMGM
Best of luck, and as always you can find me on Twitter @GatorBetting and Instagram @Gator_Sports_Betting. Any feedback whether positive or negative is always encouraged.
