Golf: The CJ Cup
Venue: Nine Bridges PGA, Jeju, South Korea
Dates: Thursday 17th – Sunday 20th October 2019
Tournament Preview
The CJ Cup is one of the newest events on the PGA tour, having first been played in 2017. The competition is played at the PGA Nine Bridges Course in Jeju, South Korea and hosts a prestigious field of 78 players. The top 60 players in the FedEx Cup standings are all scheduled to take part along with many Korean golfers that are looking to establish themselves outside of the Asian Tour, With Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas on the list of previous winners, the prestige of the event almost speaks for itself. With over $9 million on the line too, there is plenty to play for on the Korean Island of Jeju this week.
Betting Preview
Outright Winner
Some of the biggest names on the PGA Tour feature here in Jeju and they will be keen to get their hands on some silverware:-
World number 5 Justin Thomas has enjoyed another sparkling year on the PGA Tour with prize money and trophies to boot and he has always enjoyed the course here at Nine Bridges.
World number one Brooks Koepka will be looking to defend his title here in Jeju as he looks to build on yet another incredible season as he heads in to 2020 as the best player in the world.
Tommy Fleetwood hasn’t enjoyed his best year on either the European or PGA Tour but has established himself amongst the games’ elite and he should challenge Thomas and Koepka here.
Mercurial Spaniard Sergio Garcia picked up the KLM Open title last month as well as a top 10 in his home event; Open de Espana and he will be one to watch in a packed field here.
2019 US Open Champion Gary Woodland has enjoyed the best season of his career and he will be eager to put another trophy in the cabinet here in Korea after finishing runner up last season.
1st Round Leader
Producing the goods over 72 holes is often the most difficult thing for any golfer to do therefore here are our first round leader picks:-
Four time major winner Jordan Spieth has slipped down the PGA rankings in 2019 but he is very capable at this level and he could get off to a flyer following a couple of months off.
Another man that hasn’t been in his best nick is Billy Horschel but the enigmatic American will be hopeful of a strong start here to set him up for a good week in Jeju.
Having climbed to number 23 in the world, Kevin Na is a man going places. With a win at the Shriners Championship last time out, he could be one to watch in Jeju.
Top Ten Finish
With so many quality players assembled here in Jeju, getting into the winning enclosure could be tough but there are plenty of candidates to finish in the top 10 come Sunday:-
Japanese superstar Hideki Matsuyama is one of the most consistent performers on tour and he looks well set to go deep here in South Korea.
Australian Marc Leishman finished second here in 2017 and following his 3rd place finish at the Safeway Open last time out, he looks to be a man in form.
Former Masters champion Danny Willett has enjoyed a real resurgence on both the European and PGA Tours this season and he could well contend come Sunday afternoon in Jeju.
BetXChange Best Bets:
Outright Winner: Brooks Koepka – 8.00
1st Round Leader: Kevin Na – 40.00
Top Ten Finish: Marc Leishman – 2.75
