Preview & outright plays:
Rather surprised by the widespread bookie coverage of this event, so this a belated preview. This is Japan's premier golf tournament and usually attracts a strong international field who usually play well. Shingo Katayama held off a strong challenge from Bob May and Darren Clarke last year, but he was the first home winner since Jumbo Ozaki in 1996. The winners in the interim had been Tom Watson, Lee Westwood and Thomas Bjorn. With the WGC World Cup being held in Japan next week, David Duval is in the field, as are a few internationals, though with the event coinciding with the Volvo Masters and with fears heightened over flying, there are less than in previous years.
They play at the Phoenix Country Club which has been the host for this event since its inaugural year in 1974. This is a seaside course and so is subject to the sea winds, but it does not border the water. Rather, it is a rather tight tree-lined course with rewards for attacking golf. The penalties are severe though and so they should as the par-71 course is only 6,856 yards long. A good test of golf that usually separates the wheat from the chaff, it has been listed among the 'world's top 100 courses'.
Duval justifiably heads the markets, but given the stresses on both PGA Tour events last week, he and others such as Gossett and Kelly are passed over. Instead the three selections are Toshimitsu Izawa, Hidemichi Tanaka and Ed Fryatt. Izawa is totally dominant on the Japan Tour at the moment. He has won four of his last six events and finished 3rd in one other. In those six tournaments, he has recorded just one round over par. With an inflated price because of Duval, he warrants attention particularly with the safety net of an each-way play.
Both Izawa and Tanaka skipped the Ube Kosan Open last week and are fresh coming into this event. Tanaka may not have the form of Izawa, but has won twice this year already and has finished 4th and 2nd in his last two events. With top-10 finishes in two of the last three years, he looks like a decent proposition for a place finish, particularly with Eurobet who offer 5 places and a vastly different price to the 16/1 generally available on him.
With regard to current form, then Fryatt does not appear to a valid selection. He has missed his last four cuts on the PGA Tour, but crucially he did not need to tough it out in Annandale last week as he had already secured his card for next season with a run of five top-15 finishes in July/August. It can also be noted that he was in much the same form last season - a best of 55th in his previous eight PGA Tour events - before he finished 7th in this event and 12th in Casio World Open. Fresh off a week's rest and with a good record in Japan, he may surprise a few people again this week. The 66/1 at Bet365 is tempting, but they offer only 4 places, so the safer play at NetBetSports who offer 6 places looks more justifiable with this type of player.
Outright plays:
Toshimitsu Izawa to win 10/1 e.w. @
NetBetSports [6 places]
Hidemichi Tanaka to win 25/1 e.w. @
Eurobet [5 places]
Ed Fryatt to win 40/1 e.w. @
NetBetSportss [6 places]
