Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions – CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges

Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions for the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges

CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges Fantasy Preview

And now for something a little bit different.

The fall season on the PGA TOUR gets put on ice Stateside as the action heads to Asia for the first of a three-event turn. First up is the CJ Cup at the idyllic Nine Bridges club on Jeju Island in South Korea.

The US leg of the fall campaign ended in the most dramatic of fashion at the Houston Open, with Lanto Griffin pipping Scott Harrington and Mark Hubbard to land his maiden PGA TOUR title.

Golf is full of fantastic stories of redemption and hope, and Griffin’s is no different. Literally just a couple of years ago, the 31-year-old was down to his last $100 and considering quitting the sport for a ‘real job’.

But as is often the case, a trip to a sports psychologist and a reunion with a favorite old coach sparked something in Griffin, and the $1.3 million he will bank for the win in Texas will feel all the more sweeter for the obstacles he has had to overcome. A place in the Masters and Players’ Championship fields is the juicy cherry on top of the cake.

It was hard luck to Harrington and Hubbard, who also ascended from the Korn Ferry Tour with Griffin. Harrington, a really classy ball striker, hinted at what he might be able to achieve among the big boys, while Hubbard also impressed despite his fidgety gait and hockey-style putting stroke.

Both will be of interest when the next alternate event in Bermuda comes along in a few weeks, but for now we get to enjoy the unique machinations that make up golf in Asia.

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Last Week’s Fantasy Results

Lanto, Lanto, Lanto! First off, we want to shout out Jeremy, a Golficity Premium member who made himself $25,000 dollars last weekend!  

With last week’s win, we’ve now successfully picked 3 winners over the first 5 events of the Fall Season!

The CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges Field

The 78-man field for the CJ Cup is devised largely from the qualification criteria – although, sadly, a number of players have chosen to opt out of the trip to what can be a devilish golf course.

The top 60 from the previous season’s FedExCup rankings get an automatic invite – not all have accepted, with five sponsor invitations from the PGA TOUR. The rest of the field is made up of the best Korean players who having secured their spot via the process mentioned above.

So descending on Nine Bridges will be the likes of defending champion Brooks Koepka, former winner of this event Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood, Jordan Spieth, Marc Leishman, Jason Day and more.

There’s a slew of recent tournament winners in the mix too. Sungjae Im, who won the Genesis Championship in his homeland last week, will lead the Korean charge, and he will be joined by the likes of Kevin Na, Sergio Garcia, Danny Willett and Joaquin Niemann, who have all triumphed in recent times.

Fans of the European Tour may already be familiar with the work of Soomin Lee, and he will be joined by a talented bunch of locals that includes Yi-Keun Chang, Jeong-Woo Ham and Sang-Hyun Park, who have all got their hands on trophies in recent times.

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This Week’s Course Preview

It’s rare for a golf course to be so easy on the eye and yet such a beast to master, and that’s perhaps why Nine Bridges is considered by may to be the favorite stop-off of the Asian Swing.

The layout is found aboard Jeju Island, a now inhabited stretch of land that started life as a volcanic mass, and so the architects have done a phenomenal job of turning Nine Bridges into a beautifully leafy piece of golfing real estate.

There is a contrast at play here, with the coastal island feel met with an almost parklands character packed with tree-lined fairways and doglegging holes. There’s some hideous bunkers, thick and juicy rough and while water is only in play on four holes, these watery hazards really are a danger to errant ball striking.

A Par 72 measuring around 7,250 yards, the fairways are generously proportioned but the small Bentgrass greens remain well protected.

And then there’s the altitude to consider too: Jeju Island sits around 600ft above sea level above the Korean Peninsula.

But if ever there was a golf course governed by the weather, this is it. Take the 2017 edition, for example. The wind blew hard and Justin Thomas won with -9, with nearly a quarter of the field finishing double-digits over par.

Contrast that to last year, when Brooks Koepka reigned supreme with -21, with countless rounds of 65 and better played including a closing 62 from Ryan Palmer.

In short, if it’s windy then Nine Bridges is really tough. If it’s benign, and possibly even wet, this is a golf course that is there for the taking.

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Weather Forecast for JeJu Island, Korea

The weather forecast for locations such as Jeju Island is as unpredictable as it gets, with weather patterns seemingly changing hour-by-hour.

But generally speaking, the predictions appear to be fairly benign this week.

The first port of call, always, here is the wind, and that should be manageable – 10-12 mph, and a tad stronger on the coastal holes – is pretty standard fare in this type of golf.

The sun will shine on all four days apart from Friday, where some scattered rainfall is expected, while temperatures will hover around the 70°F mark.

Last Year’s Results from the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges

When truly great champions are forced into finding that extra gear, it’s almost inevitable that they will do so.

Brooks Koepka was pushed to the limit on the final day of the CJ Cup 12 months ago, with birdies flying in all round him.

But the major champion kept his cool when it mattered most to claim a rare non-major title.

Gary Woodland birdied six of his first seven holes on Sunday to draw level with Koepka, while the two-time US Open champion got off to a slow and unspectacular start.

However, pressure brings the best out of the very best, and Koepka went ballistic in helpful conditions: he birdied five of the opening seven holes on the closing stretch, before eagling the last to secure a four-shot victory over Woodland and the chasing pack.

Ryan Palmer could only finish T3 despite carding a tournament best of 62.

Brooks Koepka Highlights | Round 4 | THE CJ CUP 2018

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Where to Play Fantasy Golf for CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges this Week

It may feel like the PGA TOUR is taking its collective foot off the gas with the Asian Swing, but the daily fantasy sites aren’t resting on their laurels with another deep stack slate.

• PGA $200k Best Ball: There are still some handsome prizes to be won even on the Asian Swing, and that includes the $50k up for grabs here. Finish inside the top 3250 players and you will double your money at the least.
• PGA $80k Club Twirl: There’s no let up in the big prizes, with a jackpot of $20k on the table in this contest – not bad for a 2,120 entry tournament. Some handy consolation payouts will keep your bankroll ticking before the season returns to US soil.

This Week’s Fantasy Notes for the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges

The first point of order when analyzing the CJ Cup is to decide what kind of a renewal are we going to get: will this be the easy, wind-free birdie-fest we saw 12 months ago, or the kind of grind that the US Open would be proud of like 2017?

The forecast, frustratingly, is sort of somewhere in the middle, but that still gives us plenty to work with.

We’re looking for players that are comfortable shaping the ball both ways, and of course scrambling is a key stat: there will be fairways missed, and these small Bentgrass greens can be difficult to hold – especially if the wind does get up. The presence of lots of evil bunkers complicates matters further.

Anyone who has shown form on the Asian Swing also comes onto the radar, as does anybody who has thrived in similar tests: think the Sony Open, the Tournament of Champions and even the AT&T at Pebble Beach.

Other windy events – the Phoenix Open and Honda Classic – have been won by players who have excelled at Nine Bridges, so that too is worthy of consideration.

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Our Top 5 (and Top 2 Sleeper) Fantasy Picks and Odds to Win the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges

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Top 5 Picks/Odds to Win the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges

Top Tier Pick #1: 

Justin Thomas (Odds: 7/1, FPPG: 102.0, GPFP: 131.58 Salary: $11,700)

The missed cut of Brooks Koepka at Shriners in his first start since surgery was a real off-putter as he starts the defense of his title on the other side of the world.

For that reason, Justin Thomas becomes an auto-lock for a tournament he won back in 2017.

JT has been in fine form for months now, and he has finished no lower than T12 in any of his last seven starts! That run includes a win at the BMW Championship, T9 in the TOUR Championship and T4 last time out in the Safeway Open, where he struck the ball beautifully.

There’s just something about the world number five, who remains one of the most prolific winners in world golf without getting the respect or attention of many of his peers.

If he knows it, it’s the fire that burns inside Thomas, and he will be able to triumph on Jeju Island no matter whether it’s a birdie shootout or a real grind for the line.

Key Stats:

• SG: Approach – 2nd
• Scoring Average – 5th
• SG: Around-the-Green – 8th

Mid-Tier Pick #1:  

Marc Leishman (Odds: 33/1, FPPG: 72.7, GPFP: 84.30 Salary: $9,200)

The Asian Swing seems to appeal to Marc Leishman, who returned to for with a bang last time out.

A former runner-up here at Jeju Island, the Australian is also a former winner of the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpar.

So, this is a part of the world which appeals to Leishman, who finished T3 in his last start at the Safeway Open. He was particularly good from tee-to-green there, and his canny short game makes him a clear and obvious pick at this track.

It’s easy to forget that Leishman is a five-time winner worldwide with a catalogue of major top-10s to his name; write him off at your peril, despite his rather poor stats this early in the season.

Key Stats:

• Approaches from 175-200 yards – 12th
• Putting Average – 69th
• Par 4 Birdie or Better Leaders – 78th

Mid-Tier Pick #2: 

Chez Reavie (Odds: 50/1, FPPG: 57.0, GPFP: 62.13 Salary: $8,300)

One of the few players to play in both editions of the CJ Cup so far has been Chez Reavie, and his return of 7-15 confirms a fondness for the layout at Nine Bridges.

Generally accurate off the tee, his lack of length won’t prove catastrophic here, and his ability to find smaller-than-average greens gives him an edge in the scoring department.

Having played well in Phoenix, Hawaii and at Pebble Beach, Reavie has shown form at our correlating courses, and despite a missed cut at Shriners he is trending nicely too with a T5 return at the TOUR Championship followed by a ranking of eighth for SG: Tee-to-Green at the Safeway Open.

Key Stats:

• SG: Approach – 19th
• Birdie Average – 34th
• Driving Accuracy – 36th

Mid-Tier Pick #3: 

Graeme McDowell (Odds: 80/1, FPPG: 43.8, GPFP: 35.00 Salary: $7,200)

You wouldn’t say that Graeme McDowell has completely taken to Nine Bridges as of yet – strange for a player of his profile.

Winning in these kinds of conditions has been a common theme throughout the Irishman’s career – he’s a winner on the Links of France, Scotland and Wales, is a former champion at the Harbour Town Links and of course claimed the US Open title at Pebble Beach.

That hints at a fondness for exposed, windy golf, but don’t forget that ‘GMac’ has proven himself on tight, tree-heavy set-ups as well: at Bay Hill in particular he has thrived.

Key Stats:

• SG: Putting – 4th
• Scrambling – 44th
• Scoring Average – 47th

Low-Tier Pick: 

Brian Stuard (Odds: 125/1, FPPG: 73.8, GPFP: 84.81 Salary: $6,900)

The new season has been getting progressively better for Brian Stuard.

T28 at the Sanderson Farms Championship and T17 at the Safeway Open, he saved his best for last time out with a T4 at Shriners, where he ranked sixth for SG: Tee-to-Green.

Visually not so much, but one course that does bring to mind Nine Bridges is Detroit GC, the Donald Ross design that hosted the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Tight and tree-lined, it also features small greens well protected by bunkers.

Stuard was T5 there, and that gives us confidence he can go very nicely on Jeju Island.

Key Stats:

• Driving Accuracy – 18th
• SG: Approach – 29th
• Scoring Average – 33rd

Sleeper Pick for the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges

Rory Sabbatini (Odds: 70/1, FPPG: 58.6, GPFP: 66.24 Salary: $7,900)

The adopted Slovakian heads to Jeju Island in good heart after a decent showing in the Italian Open last time out.

Sabbatini has been trying his luck in European Tour events for the past few months, and he made it count with that strong T10 in Italy.

And he’s another with form at a string of correlating courses: top-fives at Pebble Beach, PGA National, Waialae and many more besides.

A proven wind player and winner (albeit a long time ago), Sabbatini could be a sleeper to savor this week.

Key Stats:

• Total Driving – 34th
• Scrambling – 67th
• Birdie Average – 95th

Alternative Sleeper Pick for the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges

Chesson Hadley (Odds: 150/1, FPPG: 68.7, GPFP: 67.30 Salary: $6,800)

The archetypal sleeper pick, Chesson Hadley will be low-owned this week by virtue of the fact he nearly finished dead last here 12 months ago.

But we’re willing to give him a try on the basis of some impressive stats this season which have just started yield results.

Hadley is ranked 14th on Tour for Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, a sure sign he has been striping the ball in recent weeks, and that has aided him to top-25 finishes at both the Shriners and Safeway Open.

A noted wind player, Hadley has excelled at Pebble Beach and in Phoenix and Texas, and there’s no reason why his recent improvement can’t continue.

Key Stats:

• SG: Tee-to-Green – 14th
• Scrambling – 60th
• Scoring Average – 75th

This Week’s Sample DraftKings Lineup

Note: Sample lineups provided as examples only.  Be sure to mix-and-match players to best fit individual contests.

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Fantasy Golf Predictions This Season (2019-2020)

[skill_bar heading=”Total Top 3s” percent=”11.42%” bar_text=”4 out of 35 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 10s” percent=”11.42%” bar_text=”4 out of 35 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 25s” percent=”25.71%” bar_text=”9 out of 35 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Winners Picked” percent=”60.00%” bar_text=”3 out of 5 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Runners-Up Picked” percent=”20.00%” bar_text=”1 out of 5 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)” percent=”57.14%” bar_text=”20 out of 35 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″]

Remember to visit our private Facebook group to discuss this week’s picks for CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges with other Premium Members.

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Cover Photo via Instagram