Golf: Lee could break PGA duck in Japan

There are two more big golf tournaments to look forward to on both the PGA and DP World Tours this week, with the potential for Australian success.

Min Woo Lee heads to Japan for the ZOZO Championship and the Aussie ace can build on a good showing in this event last year, as he looks for a first PGA Tour success.

Meanwhile, the DP World Tour is in Korea for the Genesis Championship and four Australians will be amongst the 120-man field in Incheon.

Min Woo can challenge for ZOZO win

Min Woo Lee is the only Australian in the field for this week’s ZOZO Championship, but the man from Perth will feel this could be the week he ends his wait for a win.

The 26-year-old has three tournament wins on the DP World Tour, two on the Tour of Australasia and one on the Asian Tour, but is still waiting for a PGA title.

The fact that this week’s event is hosted in Japan could play into Lee’s hands, especially when you consider his performance in this tournament last year and his experience on Asian courses.

After carding rounds of 67 and 65 over the weekend, the Aussie finished T6 in the 2023 ZOZO and can be backed at 29.00 to lift the trophy this weekend.

Lee has not played a tournament since the Presidents Cup, when he was part of the International team that suffered a heavy defeat to the USA in Canada.

The break may have done the Western Australian good and he will go into this week’s event fresh and is available at 6.50 to claim a top-five finish in Japan.

Micheluzzi leads the Aussie bid in Korea

This is the eighth edition of the Genesis Championship but the first time it’s been a co-sanctioned event between the DP World Tour and the Korean Tour.

The field is certainly stronger this time around and there are four Australians in the line-up, as they look to become the first non-Korean to win the tournament.

Home hope Tom Kim heads the betting at 8.00, while the shortest-priced Aussie is Melbourne’s David Micheluzzi at 67.00.

The Victorian is still looking for his first win outside of Australia and there are fitness concerns heading to the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea.

Micheluzzi withdrew from last week’s Andalucia Masters, but he had been in good form prior to that, with two top-30 finishes at the Open de France and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Jason Scrivener hasn’t played on the DP World Tour since the Open de Espana in late September and will hope the break will help his cause this week.

The 35-year-old, who has been drawn to play the first two rounds with Guntaek Koh and Oliver Wilson, is 7.00 to claim a top-10 finish.

Haydn Barron (601.00 in the outright market) is another of the Australian hopefuls this week, but he goes into the tournament having missed the cut in four of his last five events on the DP World Tour.

It’s been two months since Thomas Power-Horan last played on the Tour, after pulling out of the Czech Masters in September due to injury.

The world number 1164 returns to action this week and is 17.00 to finish in the top-20 in Korea.