Baycurrent Classic predictions: Ian Wilkerson's three tips include a 25-1 best bet

Baycurrent Classic date, start time & TV info 

Date Thursday, October 9-Sunday October 12 2025
Course Yokohama Country Club, Yokohama, Japan
Start time 12.45am
TV Sky Sports Golf, from 4am, Thursday

The PGA Tour moves to Japan this week for the Baycurrent Classic, previously known as the Zozo Championship, which will take place in the unfamiliar surroundings of Yokohama Country Club.

Defeated American Ryder Cup stars Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa lead the market in the 78-player field, but there could be better value elsewhere as both players have endured mediocre seasons by their own sky-high standards.

Former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, who won this in 2021, is the most prominent name among a strong home contingent hoping to put on a good show

Baycurrent Classic predictions

Rasmus Hojgaard
2pts each-way 25-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Takumi Kanaya
1pt each-way 60-1 Betfair, Hills, Paddy Power

Taiga Semikawa
1pt each-way 110-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Baycurrent Classic preview

Top tip

Rasmus Hojgaard 25-1

While Schauffele and Morikawa tasted defeat at Bethpage Black in last month's Ryder Cup, the whole experience looks to have given Rasmus Hojgaard a boost and he will fancy his chances of doing well on a rare Far East trip.

Hojgaard was used sparingly by European captain Luke Donald on his debut - he played a total of 31 holes in two matches - so while Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler looked drained after featuring in five matches, the Dane should be fired up rather than fatigued by the week.

It looked that way after he finished third in last week's Sanderson Farms Championship - his best performance on the PGA Tour - when only winner Steven Fisk bettered his final-round score of 65.

Rasmus Hojgaard of DenmarkCredit: Getty Images

Hojgaard had headed to the Ryder Cup in dynamic form having finished second in both the Danish Championship and the European Masters, with a creditable 13th spot in the British Masters in between.

It would be understandable if he had other things on his mind when he missed the cut at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth a week before the Stateside showdown and there is little sign that he is ready to take things easy just yet.

This is an unfamiliar track for the vast majority of the field so the step into the unknown may not be that daunting, and Hojgaard will know that winning a tournament of this stature is the next logical step in his promising career, so it could be the week he gets over the line.

Next best bet

Takumi Kanaya 60-1

There is not a lot of course form to go on this week and what there is has to be tempered by news that a composite arrangement will be used.

Three Yokohama Country Club tournaments - one Japan One and two Yokohama Minato Championships on the Japanese Tour - were all played exclusively on the West course at the 36-hole complex, and two of the holes on the East half have been put into the mix this week.

However, the surroundings could help some of the home players outplay their odds and Takumi Kanaya is one Japanese player who is of interest.

He was seventh at the Yokohama Minato last year when his closing 63 was the best round of the day and he came through a playoff against Ryo Ishikawa to win the ANA Open in his most recent Japan Tour outing three weeks ago.

Kanaya's 21st at the Sanderson Farms should have also boosted his confidence for this return home and he could feature in the shake-up.

Other selection

Taiga Semikawa 110-1

Another home talent, this time at a treble-figure price, who is worth chancing is 24-year-old Taiga Semikawa.

He has been a model of consistency on the Japanese Tour lately having won the Tour Championshp in a playoff in June.

Semikawa has not finished lower than seventh in seven of his last eight tournaments and he has some Yokohama form too, having finished a shot behind Keita Nakajima in the 2023 Yokohama Minato Championship, so he is worthy of a small each-way investment.

Key stats for the Baycurrent Classic

♦ This is the first year this venue has been used for this tournament with five of the last six taking place at Narashino
♦ Hideki Matsuyama is the only home player to have triumphed, winning in 2021
♦ Collin Morikawa holds the biggest winning margin having won by six shots two years ago
♦ Ten Americans have either won or finished joint-second in the last four years

Read more top golf tips:

Open de Espana predictions: Ian Wilkerson's four tips include a 60-1 best bet 

Baycurrent Classic: Yokohama Country Club course guide, start time, odds and how to watch 

Spanish Open: Club de Campo Villa de Madrid course guide, start time, odds and how to watch 

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