The CJ Cup, originally played at Nine Bridges Golf Club in South Korea, is now in Year-3 as a stateside event. After two years in Las Vegas (2020 at Shadow Creek and 2021 at the Summit Club), this year’s iteration is at Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina. Back in June of 2021, Congaree played host to the Palmetto Championship, which was played in place of the Canadian Open that year due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. What a time to be alive.
Just like last week’s ZOZO Championship, the CJ Cup is a 78-man no-cut event, but the field is absolutely loaded. The top 60 in last season’s final FedEx Cup standings qualify, along with numerous Asian and Korean Tour qualifiers, to round out the field. I’m sure the goal is to return to South Korea at some point, but hosting this in the states has resulted in exceptionally strong fields, and this year is no different.
Though it was just one event, we’re not flying blind at Congaree. The field wasn’t great, but we got a sense of what it’ll take to win on this unique and sprawling layout. A 7,685-yard Par-71 track, Congaree is a challenging Tom Fazio design, with generous fairways and Australian-like sandbelts lining the course, in place of rough, on nearly every hole. Most green complexes are raised with tightly mowed run-offs, and since the length forces a lot of approach shots from 200+ yards out, lag putting is crucial, and three-putt avoidance is essential to contending.
For more course details, check out Ron’s course preview, but here’s an important tidbit:
One of the reasons this is such a unique and challenging course is that every hole stands out on its own. Each of the par 3s is a stiff test averaging 0.15 strokes over par. Two of them are fronted by water, with the greens sloping toward the hazard area. There are two driveable par 4s that each measure 360 yards and produced birdie or better rates of 34% in 2021. The 8th hole is full of character and is probably one of the toughest par 4s in the world. Measuring as long as 540 yards, there is a long carry off the tee over water and a waste area. The raised green is fronted by a vast expanse of sand and takes an almost perfect long iron approach to hold the green.
There are millions of ways to bet on this beautiful game, and my goal with this piece is to touch on the golfers I’m targeting this week.
Please take advantage of the Discord feature and community. It’s the best way to get up-to-the-minute lines and advice, and if you need help getting started, please reach out. That’s where my full card will be posted, along with any live in-tournament bets. Betting markets are fluid, but I’ll note the best number available at the time of this writing.
I’m not sure how I’ll be allocating funds for the swing season yet, but for now, I’m concentrating on outright selections in this space.
*Betting lines are accurate at the time of publication.
f684b2f3d4218ee06dad551b3bb2074bNoonan’s CJ Cup Betting Targets
Sam Burns
We haven’t seen a top-10 finish from Sam Burns since the Canadian Open back in June. Surprising, yes, but not a trend that I expect to continue. Burns has the game to contend on any style of golf course against the world’s best fields. Still, it’s easier to back him with confidence when he’s teeing it up in the Southeast on Bermudagrass greens, which he’s consistently thrived on. I’m emphasizing driving distance and three-putt avoidance this week, and Burns is exceptionally strong in both categories.
To Win: 28/1 BetMGM
Viktor Hovland
Viktor Hovland played nine events from late March until mid-July’s Open Championship at St. Andrews. Remarkably, Hovland posted just one top-20 finish during the stretch, and that was at the WGC Match Play event, where getting T20 credit for that feels out of place due to the format, but I think he’s back and ready for a big season.
He’s played in seven events since missing the cut at the Scottish Open in July. He’s finished in the top 20 in five of the seven starts, with three finishes in the top five, including last week at the ZOZO Championship. His around-the-green game is improving, but it won’t come into play if he’s truly dialed in tee-to-green. Anything at or above 25/1 is a great look, in my opinion.
To Win: 28/1 DraftKings
Max Homa
Max is my guy. Not because I like him and think we’d have fun if we hung out, though the thought has crossed my mind, but because he simply has no holes in his golf game. He’s been one of the most improved players on Tour over the past year, and he’s shown that the gains are real. He had his best season in every stroke gained metric in 2022. The success has continued in the swing season, including successfully defending his win at the Fortinet Championship and a tremendous showing at last month’s Presidents Cup.
He’s above average in every metric I’m weighing this week, including among the very best in proximity from 200+ yards out and 3-putt avoidance. DraftKings agrees with me, pricing him at 16/1, but FanDuel is a lot more generous.
To Win: 31/1 FanDuel
Cam Davis
I don’t think many long shots are truly viable this week. It’s a loaded field, and the no-cut element favors the upper-echelon players. With that said, I’ll continue to back Cam Davis as an ascending player who I believe jumps up a tier this season. He’s played well on Bermudagrass previously, including a T3 finish at Harbour Town last season. Davis’s best skills are the ones I’m weighing the most this week. He’s long off the tee, feasts on Par-5s, is one of the best on Tour in proximity from 200+ yards out, and is an outstanding lag putter, ranking 20th in 3-putt avoidance. I like how he played at the Presidents Cup, and I want to continue to buy in on him when the course fit and price are right.
To Win: 80/1 BetMGM
FanDuel Finishing Position Parlay
Jordan Spieth and Matthew Fitzpatrick- T20 (+256) FanDuel
Unlike most other books I’m familiar with, FanDuel allows you to parlay finishing position bets. Now, the very premise of the bet is flawed because the expected value is negative since players are competing for the same finishing positions. If the bet is two T20s like this one, when one leg of your parlay finishes above the threshold, there’s now one less spot available in that range for the other leg(s) to also come in. I know the math is terrible. Spare me. But let’s be honest. Some bets are just fun, and these are fun for me. Give me Team Magic Beans for +256.
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