DraftKings preview: THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES

The PGA TOUR travels to South Korea for the third installment of THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. The tournament was first introduced to the PGA TOUR’s schedule two years ago. The bulk of the 78-player field is comprised of the top 60 available players from last season’s FedExCup standings and the top players from the Korean Tour. The CJ CUP will be a no-cut event, meaning fantasy managers will undoubtedly need the winner on their rosters in order to claim first place in their contest.

Nine Bridges is a 7,196-yard course that plays to a par 72 and features bentgrass greens. Like most coastal or island courses, Nine Bridges can be susceptible to volatile weather conditions. This was the case back in 2017, when the tournament experienced extremely windy conditions and scores skyrocketed. Nine Bridges was the fourth-toughest course in relation to par that season. Last season’s tournament had better weather conditions and that was reflected in lower scores.

The course can be challenging with tree-lined fairways and undulating greens, but with little to no wind, Nine Bridges has the chance to be a birdie fest; the top five gained an average of more than 7.5 strokes in birdies gained over the field last season. The course isn’t long and with four par-5s we should again look to golfers who are elite in par-5 scoring average; the top-3 in this stat category from last season who are in the field are Justin Thomas, Gary Woodland and Sungjae Im. We should also focus on players who’ve shown ability around the greens as well as scrambling from the sand with over 100 bunkers throughout the course.

TOP VALUES

HIDEKI MATSUYAMA ($10,700)

Matsuyama is another golfer who does well in no-cut events. His most recent victory came at the World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational back in 2017. He also has three top-5s at the Tournament of Champions, including a second-place finish in 2017. Matsuyama has leaned on his ball-striking to mitigate his poor putting throughout his career, but he ranks in the top 15 in Strokes Gained: Putting on bentgrass greens over his last 50 rounds. He should be feeling good about his game heading to Jeju Island after gaining eight strokes tee-to-green at The Shriners Hospital for Children Open earlier this month.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD ($10,300)

Fleetwood has the pedigree and the game to win on the biggest stage, but hasn’t been able to put four rounds together for a win in his short career on the PGA TOUR. He’s been close, however, finishing runner-up in major tournaments and other tough no-cut events like the World Golf Championships. Fleetwood’s current form is top-notch. He ranks 17th in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green over his last three tournaments on the PGA TOUR and has played well on the European Tour, ranking sixth in stroke average and third in par-5 scoring this season.

CHEZ REAVIE ($8,300)

Reavie is gaining an average of five strokes tee-to-green in his last three tournaments and ranks 22nd in birdies or better gained over the same timeframe. Reavie could be a golfer most fantasy managers overlook after missing the cut at the Shriners Hopsitals for Children Open, but he shouldn’t be. He finished in the top 7 in 2018 and top 15 the year previous at this tournament.

RORY SABBATiNI ($7,900)

Sabbatini continued his solid form from last season, shooting three rounds under par at The Italian Open resulting in a top-10. He has gained an average of three strokes tee-to-green over his last 10 tournaments, ranks inside the top-15 in both par-5 scoring average and sand saves over his last three tournaments on the PGA TOUR. Sabbatini also hits the ball extremely well when the conditions become windy and difficult, ranking just outside the top-30 in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green over his last 12 tournaments which recorded extremely windy conditions.

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