Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions for the 2025 Baycurrent Classic
2025 Baycurrent Classic Fantasy Preview
It was another remarkable victory for ‘Team No Putt’ in the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday.
Steven Fisk, with seasonal ranks of 24th for Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and 160th for SG: Putting, belied his woes with the flatstick to chase down Garrick Higgo and land his maiden PGA TOUR title at the Country Club of Jackson.
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He gained a mammoth +3.31 on the field putting on Sunday, helping Fisk to a round of 64 and a two-shot margin of victory over Higgo, who had led for much of the tournament.
Fisk joins Kevin Yu and Luke List to make it a hat-trick of players with undoubted ball-striking ability, but issues with the putter, to win at this venue in as many years – it’s a risky strategy for our DFS drafts, but certainly something to ponder when the PGA TOUR returns to Mississippi next year.
In the meantime, the TOUR is set for a one-week sojourn overseas, as the action heads to Japan for the renamed ZOZO Championship, the Baycurrent Classic.
The 2025 Baycurrent Classic Field
It’s perhaps not surprising that three players with emotional ties to Japan – Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, and Hideki Matsuyama – lead the field this week.
They, along with Alex Noren, are the only members of the OWGR top-20 heading to the Yokohama Country Club, although there’s an eye-catching ensemble cast that also includes Chris Gotterup, Wyndham Clark, Billy Horschel, and Sungjae Im.
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Michael Kim, who won the Open de France on the DP World Tour a couple of weeks ago, makes his PGA TOUR return, while – Matsuyama aside – it’s Takumi Kanaya and Keita Nakajima, who has won at Yokohama before, that perhaps represent the host nation’s best chances.
Nico Echavarria will defend the ZOZO Championship title he won at Narashino Country Club 12 months ago.
This Week’s Course Preview
You’ll have to forgive our lack of in-depth analysis this week, as we – and no doubt many of the players – will be getting their first look at the Yokohama Country Club.
The PGA TOUR has published a scorecard on their website which looks a befuddling affair; a composite of two courses, we’re expecting a Par 71 layout that measures in the region of 7,300 yards this week… but with just two Par 5s, as per that card.
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The prospect of a 237-yard Par 3 at 16, after a 337-yard Par 4 at 13, only adds to the confusion of a layout with some long old Par 4s matched by some that could, in theory, see the green driven.
Typically speaking, Japanese golf courses are classical in design – taking their inspiration from the traditional parkland courses of England and the United States.
And the visual clues online suggest that’s the case at Yokohama, with some tight tree-lines, modest landing zones, and some raised green complexes suggesting that accurate tee-to-green play will be key this week.
We may be wrong, of course, but looking out for past form at tight, classical layouts on the PGA TOUR may at least get us in the right ballpark with our draft this week.
Weather Forecast for Yokohama, JPN
There’s some pretty funky weather around in Yokohama this week, including – according to the early forecast – the possibility of a typoon on Wednesday and Thursday.
How that manifests itself remains to be seen, but the likelihood of some rain and very strong winds on Thursday seems probable.
That could linger on into Friday too, although the forecast is more forgiving at the weekend: in fact, a change of wind direction could see brilliant sunshine on Sunday, with top temperatures of 78 degrees.
Last Year’s Results
It was of course known as the ZOZO Championship 12 months ago, and played at the Narashino Country Club.
That would be the scene of a second PGA TOUR title for Nico Echavarria, who produced a gutsy final round to see off the threat of Justin Thomas and collect a second TOUR title.
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The Colombian opened his account with a pair of 64s to lead by two shots heading into the weekend, before solidifying his position by matching Thomas’ 65 on Saturday.
It was setup for a grandstand finish between those two protagonists, and by the sixth hole they were level. But then, to the surprise of many, Thomas made par at each of his next eleven holes – Echavarria, on the other hand, made three birdies in that span.
A clutch birdie at the last ensured that Echavarria just about held off Thomas and the fast-finishing Max Greyserman to win by one shot.
Where to Play Fantasy Golf for this Week’s the 2025 Baycurrent Classic
The international travel to Japan, allied to the possibility of a typhoon in situ, means that there’s an element of unpredictability to the Baycurrent Classic this week.
Is that a good thing? We like to think so, and here’s two contests via which we can hopefully take advantage of:
PGA $80k Drive the Green: Here’s our regular choice of $5 contest that has that ideal blend of handsome top prize ($20,000), but also plenty of good-sized consolation prizes that will help to build your bankroll for the weeks ahead.
PGA $200k Sand Trap: If you’d like a higher budget option, this $25 game is an exciting choice – you’ll be competing with less than 10,000 players for a top prize of $50k, with plenty of other handy payouts to be won.
This Week’s Fantasy Notes for the 2025 Baycurrent Classic
Two Japan Golf Tour events played at Yokohama in 2022 and 2023 were won with scores of -13 and -14, and with the possibility of some tough weather incoming, it’s possible that the winner of the Baycurrent Classic will have to grind their way to success.
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Ben Crenshaw, alongside Bill Coore, has done some renovation work on the West Course at Yokohama, and they are students of ‘classical golf’; it would be a surprise, then, if this event turns into an out and out birdie fest… unless the rain softens the track completely.
Instead, we’ll be focusing our angle of attack on players with sound tee-to-green games, particularly in the wind, which may yet wreak havoc on the Baycurrent Classic this week.
Players that have shown their class at Narashino, the ZOZO Championship host, are welcomed, as is success at somewhat correlating venues in the United States: Colonial, TPC River Highlands, and Riviera amongst those that could prove to be correlating in some way.
Top 5 Picks/Odds to Win the 2025 Baycurrent Classic
Top Tier Pick # 1
Xander Schauffele (Odds: 11/1, FPPG: 72.5, Salary: $11,000)
It has been a strange old season for Xander Schauffele.
At the start of year, he was suffering from a debilitating rib injury that effectively cost him the first three months of 2025. And yet, Schauffele has played some very good golf since.
T7 at the British Open, T8 at The Masters, T12 at the U.S. Open… he’s still playing world-class golf that beats elite opposition. Any suggestion otherwise is completely false.
At the Ryder Cup, Schauffele was one of the few Americans to emerge with credit; a 3-1-0 record capped by a 4&3 tonking of Jon Rahm on Sunday, where Xander led the entire Ryder Cup field from tee-to-green.
He’s a solid choice on classical layouts, and given that he won the British Open in foul weather last year, Schauffele should be willing to guts it out if that cyclone does arrive on Thursday.
Key Stats:
SG: Approach – 12th
Scoring Average (adjusted) – 26th
SG: Tee-to-Green – 29th
Top Tier Pick #2
Michael Kim (Odds: 30/1, FPPG: 63.3, Salary: $9,300)
It’s been a good six weeks or so for Michael Kim.
He finished solo tenth at the BMW Championship, where he delivered his best approach play numbers of 2025. And Kim then parlayed that into victory at the Open de France, where he bested a strong field containing the likes of Brooks Koepka, Min Woo Lee and a PGA TOUR winner this year in Ryan Fox.
Kim delivered his best putting display of 2025 in France, so he’s clearly trending in the right direction, and at the age of 32 it appears as if the penny has finally dropped for this talented type.
Could he kick on with another win in Japan?
Key Stats:
Scrambling – 23rd
Scoring Average – 30th
SG: Tee-to-Green – 36th
Mid-Tier Pick #1
Adam Scott (Odds: 35/1, FPPG: 62.7, Salary: $8,500)
If this is a classical golf course that will be beset by strong winds, Adam Scott will surely be as well placed as anybody in this field to cope.
The Australian’s pedigree on long, tree-lined courses requires no introduction, and even now at the age of 45, his best golf is seemingly saved for the toughest tests – since the summer, Scott has posted top-20s in the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and Scottish Open.
He has won numerous times in Asia over the course of his career too, so there’s no reason why Scott can’t serve up another masterclass at a classical layout this week.
Key Stats:
Approach Putt Performance – 19th
SG: Tee-to-Green – 39th
Proximity to Hole – 62nd
Mid-Tier Pick #2
Tom Kim (Odds: 60/1, FPPG: 54.8, Salary: $7,800)
You wonder if the Sanderson Farms Championship will prove redemptive to Tom Kim’s career.
It was by far and away the best he’s played in some time, at a course that didn’t necessarily suit given that the Korean is hardly a bomber.
He found fairways, and gained strokes on the field in each of the other three main strokes gained departments, on his way to a T11 finish.
Perhaps Kim will enjoy Yokohama more, which should reward his accuracy, and if the wind and rain comes lest we forget he finished second at the British Open in hellacious conditions.
Key Stats:
SG: Around-the-Green – 31st
Putts Per Round – 39th
SG: Approach – 71st
Low-Tier Pick
Ryo Hisatsune (Odds: 66/1, FPPG: 58.2, Salary: $7,200)
He isn’t the most eye-catching of performers, but what Ryo Hisatsune does bring is metronomic fairway and green hitting, as well as plenty of experience of playing in his native Japan.
Hisatsune has gone under the radar to deliver four PGA TOUR top-tens in 2025, alongside three other top-20s, with success coming at tight, tree lined tracks like Colonial and Sedgefield.
A best of T6 in the ZOZO Championship shows that he can cut it in this grade of opposition, so given the expected nature of the challenge this week, Hisatsune seems like a safe but sensible selection.
Key Stats:
Scrambling – 28th
Greens in Regulation – 30th
SG: Tee-to-Green – 49th
Sleeper Pick for the 2025 Baycurrent Classic
Sahith Theegala (Odds: 90/1, FPPG: 54.8, Salary: $6,800)
What a difference a year can make.
It was as recently as 2024 that Sahith Theegala was compiling a stack of PGA TOUR top-ten finishes and ranked inside the OWGR top 20.
But injuries and shattered confidence have caused his game to subside, although the six-week period between the Wyndham Championship and Procore Championship could have been transformative.
He returned at the Procore hitting more fairways, producing his best approach play numbers in a long time, and chipping with authority.
Ironically, it was the putter that let Theegala down in Napa, but that’s not a club that has been an issue for him historically.
Comfortable at classical, tree-lined venues, and with some good form in Japan, this could be the week that Theegala bounces back yet further.
Key Stats:
Putts Per Round – 58th
Par 4 Birdie or Better Leaders – 78th
SG: Around-the-Green – 96th
Alternative Sleeper Pick for the 2025 Baycurrent Classic
Ren Yonezawa (Odds: 250/1, FPPG: , Salary: $6,200)
The ZOZO Championship had the ability to create leaderboard surprises, often with local Japanese heroes making their presence felt.
Whether Ren Yonezawa joins the party in 2025 remains to be seen, but he’s certainly one of the more intriguing Japan Golf Tour players in the field this week.
Yonezawa won at the Yokohama Country Club last year, while on the Japan Golf Tour he’s recorded seven top-five finishes since April – now that’s consistency.
He also finished T22 at last year’s ZOZO Championship, and a repeat of that sort of performance this week would be most welcome.
Key Stats:
This Week’s Sample Fantasy Lineup
Note: Sample lineups provided as examples only. Be sure to mix-and-match to best fit individual contests.
Cover Photo via Instagram
