This one kinda snuck up on me! With time zones being a thing, this one starts tonight if you’re in the Western Hemisphere.

In fact, due to the Typhoon, they’ve moved tee times up two hours, and the first golfers will be heading out at 5:45 PM ET now. So, hurry up and get your bets in, I guess.

While the storm won’t pass directly over the island, it’s getting close enough to affect the weather significantly and is the equivalent of a category four hurricane (same storm, we call them different things).

So, again, no time to waste, let’s take a quick look at the course.

After being held at Narashino Country Club for previous editions (and one time in California during the pandemic), the event will move to a new course this year. Ron was kind enough to preview it for us:

Yokohama Country Club

Yokohama Country Club’s West Course presents a striking blend of natural terrain and strategic architectural refinement. Originally part of a 36-hole facility (East and West) founded in 1960 by designers Takeo Aiyama and Hideo Takemura, the West Course has since seen significant enhancements, including a major renovation by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, which beautifully incorporates the original use of natural valleys and ridges, and which focused on widening the course, strategic bunkering, and improved green complexes.

This week, it will play as a slightly composite course with 16 holes from the West and two from the East. As a par 71 and stretching to 7,315 yards, the course is distinctive in its configuration: it features only two par-5s, three par-3s, and a remarkable 13 par-4s—the most par-4s of any course currently used on Tour. In preparation for this event, 15 of the 18 holes had some type of modifications, including the removal of numerous trees.

Yokohama is renowned for its wide fairways, framed by dense clusters of pine trees, sprawling undulations, and classic Coore and Crenshaw bunkering in key landing zones. The layout combines scoring opportunities with demanding long holes, making it suitable for a wide range of playing styles.

With plenty of room off the tee, it will mostly play as a “bombers’ paradise”, though extremely errant drives will find trouble amidst the trees. The Zoysia rough is non-penal at only around 3″, giving longer players who miss the fairway easier approaches with wedges and shorter irons. The course also offers flexibility: a few of the shorter par-4s can be played as “driveable” if tee boxes are moved forward, offering birdie opportunities for aggressive players.

The main course defense is the bentgrass greens, which have been described as “diabolical” for their false fronts, turtle-back contours, and overall undulation. With so many wedges being hit, spin control will be crucial. The greens are average in size, measuring 6,500 square feet, and should run at a slower 11.5 on the Stimpmeter. The area around most greens is mainly composed of short grass, which means chipping from those areas will have added importance this week.

One of the biggest storylines this week will be the weather. Thursday’s forecast calls for heavy rain—up to an inch—accompanied by gusting winds that could reach 45 mph. Additional showers are expected throughout the weekend, with steady rain projected for much of Saturday and Sunday, potentially turning course conditions soft and challenging as the tournament progresses. Also, wind typically plays a factor with breezes from nearby Tokyo Bay affecting approach shots—especially those from elevated tees.

On the front nine, one of the standout holes is the downhill par-4 4th. It is guarded by a hidden pond to the right and a solitary tree planted in the center of the fairway, which forces thoughtful positioning from the tee. The back nine underscores the course’s punch. The par-3 12th is particularly formidable, playing over water to a raised green flanked by bunkers on both sides.

Betting

Tough with a course we’ve never seen before, but I read some decent breakdowns this week and hope I have some sort of idea on what matters.

Typically, this course would seem to favor accuracy off the tee over distance, but with how wet it’ll be, it may just be playing quite long, bringing the two OTT skills back into some equilibrium.

Basically, finding some prices I like on ball strikers (Hoey, Kitty), guys with high OTT accuracy (Grillo, Hoey, Puts), or elite short game (Andy Puts).

Kurt Kitayama +2500
Rico Hoey +5000
Emiliano Grillo +5000
Andrew Putnam +14457

and out of respect for a guy with more 2025 wins than the top three names on the betting board COMBINED: Brian Campbell 300/1

Weather

Like I said: there’s a damn Typhoon in the area, so not great!

There's a decent chance we'll see delays or stoppages. Round 1 looks like it’ll be fairly horrible out. I’m not going to try and venture any guesses as to which tee times are advantageous, especially considering the small field.

News and Notes

• Some are panning this, and yes, it’s not going to hit the same now that all of the golfers are way too rich to care about the cash involved, but I will still watch the hell out of this.

• In case you missed it, the Sentry will be moved this year due to a water dispute between the course and Maui Land & Pineapple.

• Not ever going to be as good as that first season, but the drop off wasn’t “True Detective” level, so I’ll keep watching these.

-Finally, the HWC field is starting to populate, for those who care about golf in December.

As always, bet responsibly, have fun, and hurry up, golf starts in 10 hours!

Twitter | YouTube | Website | The Rabbit Hole