Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges

2018 CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges Fantasy Sleeper Report

The Asian Swing of the PGA TOUR’s Fall season got off to a cracking start at the CIMB Classic last week.

Okay, so shootout golf – played on an easy course in soft conditions – isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time, but it is sometimes fun to see the world’s best duke it out in a birdie battle.

As it was, Marc Leishman took the spoils at a princely -26, with Gary Woodland and Shubhankar Sharma, who held the co-lead after 54 holes, unable to keep pace with the Aussie.

It’s Leishman’s fourth PGA TOUR title, and confirmation – if any were needed – that he really is a top-drawer player.

Marc Leishman of Australia poses for photos with the winner’s trophy…

Marc Leishman of Australia poses for photos with the winner’s trophy after winning the CIMB Classic at TPC Kuala Lumpur on October 14, 2018 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

The Asian Swing continues this week, but the contrast could not be any different.

We’re off to Jeju Island, a volcanic land mass just off South Korea, to take a trip to Nine Bridges, a sublime golf course that is truly easy on the eye.

And not just that; it’s a tough old test too, with thick, dense rough backed by lots of bunkers and water features. For reference, the winning score – accumulated by Justin Thomas – was a fairly conservative -9, so there will be plenty of strategic golf played this week, rather than aiming for the flag and shooting low.

There will be a stiff breeze to contend with, too. The forecast is indicating speeds of around 14 mph, but at the localized level it is likely to be much stronger….and the players will notice it change direction when stood on the tee box.

It has been dry in the area too, and so these small Bentgrass greens will play firm.

All in all, it should be a really challenging four days for the players, and purists who love a grind will surely be in their element?

With that in mind, who makes the grade in our CJ Cup sleeper picks?

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The CJ Cup @ Nine BridgesFantasy Sleeper Report

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The CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges Fantasy Sleeper Report

Kevin Na – Vegas Odds 50/1 – Generally speaking, it’s the easier birdie-fests where Kevin Na makes his money, rather than tougher grinds like this week’s challenge.

His win at the Greenbrier Classic in July came at -19, while other top-10s in the Byron Nelson, Fort Worth Invitational and Genesis Open also came at double digits under par.

But any player who averages under par for his season-long Par 4 scoring average, as Na did in 2017-18, can clearly avoid bogeys and make par where necessary too.

And why wouldn’t you want to back a player in form at such a stern test? He shot no worse than 69 in his T19 effort at the CIMB Classic, and with the short game mastery that the 35-year-old possesses there’s no reason why he can’t go well once more this week.

C.T. Pan – Vegas Odds 55/1 – Pan is something of an enigma, and his unpredictability was summed up in the opening 36 holes at the CIMB Classic, where he followed an opening round of -7 with a +1 just 24 hours later.

The good news is that Nine Bridges should suit his accurate game. Last season he ranked sixth for Greens in Regulation, 13th for Driving Accuracy and 27th for Par 4 Scoring Average, and so theoretically tougher examinations of ball-striking should appeal.

A high top-25 finish count (10 in all) highlights Pan’s ability to adapt, and while there were only a pair of top-10s to call upon one was a T2 effort in the Wyndham Championship in August.

Kyle Stanley – Vegas Odds 66/1 – After an opening 72, it was always likely that Kyle Stanley would be playing catch-up at TPC Kuala Lumpur last week.

But what a manful attempt he made, finishing up with 68-66-64, to climb the leaderboard to T13.

It’s the continuation of some fine form that started at the WGC Bridgestone, when he finished solo second and, perhaps, ought to have won.

T12 at the Dell Technologies and T15 at the TOUR Championship followed, so the past few months have been particularly productive for the two-time PGA TOUR winner.

Accurate off the tee and a prolific GIR maker, Nine Bridges should play to Stanley’s strengths.

Beau Hossler – Vegas Odds 80/1 – The youngster is one of the best putters around – he ranked fourth for SG: Putting last season – and those skills tend to come to the fore on Bentgrass greens.

The upshot of that is that Hossler is a PGA TOUR winner in the making; we just need him to have a good week from tee-to-green to give him those opportunities to convert chances with the flat stick.

A decent scrambler, Hossler ranked 28th on Tour last season for Bogey Avoidance, and if he can showcase those battling qualities in South Korea that knack for making putts could be the difference-maker.

Scott Piercy – Vegas Odds 125/1 – A brilliant tee-to-green merchant, it’s no secret to Piercy or us as DFS lovers that, if he could putt better, he would be a serial winner on the PGA TOUR.

One of the things we really like about Piercy this week is that he is well versed in playing at altitude; he’s a member at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, the host venue for the Shriners, where the action unfolds above sea level.

That knowledge of club selection, and precision play anyway, means that he should avoid many of the pitfalls that will trap his fellow pros at Nine Bridges.

And then if that putter fires….who knows?

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Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for The CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges here.

Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2018-2019)

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Cover photo via Instagram