Steve Palmer's Dunlop Phoenix Open predictions, best bets, free golf tips

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the Dunlop Phoenix at Phoenix Country Club on the Japan Golf Tour.

When to bet

By midnight Wednesday

Best bets

Takumi Kanaya
4pts each-way 11-2 general

Hideto Tanihara
2pts each-way 25-1 Hills

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Steve Palmer's top tip

Takumi Kanaya 11-2

Tiger Woods is a two-time winner of the Dunlop Phoenix Open - as is Brooks Koepka - but no American superstars are bothering with the tournament this year and it looks at the mercy of an emerging Japanese force.

The Dunlop Phoenix was Japan's premier event before the Zozo Championship was created. Since Covid, though, the Dunlop field has been almost entirely Japanese and Takumi Kanaya can take advantage by successfully defending his title at Phoenix Country Club.

Kanaya, world-number-one amateur for 55 weeks, won the Taiheiyo Masters when he was still an amateur in 2019. He has got three Japan Tour titles under his belt - and almost notched a fourth last Sunday when beaten by a shot in the latest Taiheiyo Masters.

Kanaya finished seventh in the Zozo Championship last month and consistently features on leaderboards in his homeland. The 23-year-old can be used in each-way trebles with the likes of Rory McIlroy (DP World Tour Championship, European Tour) and Cameron Smith (RSM Classic, PGA Tour).

Next best bet

Hideto Tanihara 25-1

The main danger to Kanaya may come from the man who edged him out on Sunday. Hideto Tanihara carded a final-hole birdie to pip Kanaya in the Taiheiyo Masters. It ended a five-year victory drought for Tanihara. He is a 15-time Japan Tour champion at the age of 43 and has shown his class in some prestigious events.

Tanihara was fifth in the 2006 Open, fourth in the 2017 WGC-Match Play and third in the 2017 BMW PGA at Wentworth. Another Kanaya versus Tanihara duel could be coming on Sunday. The event starts at midnight UK and Ireland time Wednesday night.

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