After a blistering start to the fall season stateside, the PGA Tour heads to Korea this week for the third playing of The CJ Cup at Nine Bridges, the first of three straight events in Asia. The previous two winners will be teeing it up at The Club at Nine Bridges with both sitting atop the odds board. First-year winner Justin Thomas is the betting favorite at top offshore sportsbooks with defending champion Brooks Koepka close behind in the limited field of 78 players. The homeland will be well represented with no less than 12 Korean players in the field, including last season’s Tour Rookie of Year Sungjae Im. We don’t have to worry about cuts this week with the entire field playing all 72 holes. Be sure to visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Odds to Win The CJ Cup at Nine Bridges at BookMaker.eu
Justin Thomas +625
Brooks Koepka +875
Viktor Hovland +1351
Hideki Matsuyama +1451
Collin Morikawa +1652
Tommy Fleetwood +1952
Sungjae Im +2153
Jason Day +2353
Billy Horschel +2353
Jordan Spieth +2453
Gary Woodland +2453
Rafa Cabrera Bello +2453
Marc Leishman +3055
Cameron Smith +3155
Sergio Garcia +3256
Danny Willett +3557
Kevin Na +3783
Tyrrell Hatton +4150
Joaquin Niemann +4250
Matthew Wolff +4250
Chez Reavie +4550
Andrew Putnam +4750
Lucas Glover +5050
Byeong Hun An +5450
Dylan Frittelli +6550
Rory Sabbatini +6550
Pat Perez +6775
Ian Poulter +6850
Charles Howell III +7050
Abraham Ancer +7050
Ryan Moore +7050
Scott Piercy +8050
Corey Conners +8250
Keith Mitchell +8393
Phil Mickelson +8550
Luke List +8550
Joel Dahmen +8750
Emiliano Grillo +8750
Jazz Janewattananond +9550
Ryan Palmer +9550
Si Woo Kim +9550
Kevin Streelman +9550
Graeme McDowell +10000
Harold Varner III +10000
C.T. Pan +10050
Sung Kang +10250
Matt Jones +10550
Jhonattan Vegas +10550
Odds Analysis
Brooks Koepka +875
Did you know Koepka was playing injured last season? Yeah, me neither. He sure didn’t show it until the final FedExCup playoff event, but even then it was like Brooks being Brooks. We never really know what we’re going to get from him in a non-major, but seeing how he’s recovered from his injury, has been practicing, and missed the cut in Vegas, I have to go with him in this one. He’s proven he can win here and he likes to go long on this track. That’s a combination that’s too good to pass up.
Sungjae Im +2153
If we’re placing bets on how much attention players get this week, my money is on Im as the leader of the field. He grew up on Jeju Island playing The Club at Nine Bridges so this is a home game for him. How that translates remains to be seen. Some can handle it others can’t. I have a feeling Im is one who can handle the pressure. The Rookie of the Year has yet to win on the PGA Tour, but he tasted victory last week at the Korean Tour’s Genesis Championship.
Rafa Cabrera Bello +2453
His current stats point him in the direction of a victory and the odds are favorable. RCB has taken the fewest putts and has hit more GIR. The one knock against him is driving distance. He doesn’t measure up to JT or Koepka in that category, but the elevation has a way of leveling the playing field. And Rafa has had success on this layout with a T11 and T3 on his resume. The last time out he was runner-up at the Spanish Open with three rounds of 66 or lower. He’s certainly trending in the right direction.
Marc Leishman +3055
Getting his career started in Korea, Leishman is quite familiar with the course designs and weather patterns here. That was evident two years ago when he finished second to JT in the gusty conditions. Maybe he needs the winds to pick up again this week, and there’s always a chance that happens given the unpredictability. He wasn’t as strong last year but still managed a top-20. He is rested and confident since opening the season with a solo third at the Safeway Open a few weeks back.
Danny Willett +3557
A T23 at last year’s event got the ball rolling on what turned out to be a nice comeback for the Englishman. Willett has been mastering the Euro Tour and garnered a first place finish last month at the BMW PGA Championship by shooting 20-under. He’s been below 70 in 10 of his last 13 rounds and has fond memories of The Club at Nine Bridges.
Course: The Club at Nine Bridges – 7,241 yards, Par 72
The course has been stretched out with about 50 yards added to the length from last year’s event. The Club at Nine Bridges now plays close to 7,250 yards at par 72, but the elevation will wipe away any problems the added distance might have. There have only been two previous events on this track and the winners have one thing in common: they are big hitters. Both Thomas and Koepka say the course benefits players who can go long. There are obstacles that offer challenges, but reachable fairways eliminate a number of those. What could be a factor is the weather. The field had to deal with strong gusts two years ago and Thomas emerged from the pack at -9. Last year, with milder conditions, Koepka shot -21. You do the math.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel
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