The First Look: THE CJ CUP @ SUMMIT

There will be plenty of star power this week as THE CJ CUP @ SUMMIT will welcome a handful of Ryder Cup stars to the limited field.

The Summit Club – another of Las Vegas’ top-tier tracks – will host after last year’s event at Shadow Creek.

Jason Kokrak, who captured his first TOUR title in nine years in 2020, then went on to win again later last season, returns to defend.

FIELD NOTES: The European and American Ryder Cup teams will be well represented at The Summit Club… Europeans Tommy Fleetwood, Ian Poulter, Tyrrell Hatton (who finished tied for third last season at THE CJ CUP), Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Shane Lowry and Paul Casey will play, as will Americans Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, Tony Finau, Harris English, Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa and Brooks Koepka… Koepka won the event in 2018 while Thomas is a two-time winner... The field is limited to the top 60 from the prior season’s FedExCup points list plus sponsor exemptions… Those exemptions went to Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott, Gary Woodland, Jason Day, Justin Rose and international stars Minkyu Kim and Rasmus Hojgaard.

FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points.

COURSE: The Summit Club, par 72, 7,431 yards. Designed by Tom Fazio, the layout is nestled between the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and the Las Vegas Strip. Golfers get an unobstructed view of the Strip from the tee on No. 6 – one of a handful of scoreable holes on the front side. The course isn’t a typical desert layout, and in fact it will play more like a lush parkland course with a desert background that features strong bunkering and signature Tom Fazio green complexes.

STORYLINES: Jason Day returns to THE CJ CUP after withdrawing in the final round a year ago. Day was in the mix through 54 holes but hurt his neck during warm-up and pulled out after just two holes… Collin Morikawa is a member of The Summit Club and has shot a 62 at the course. The Ryder Cup rookie went 3-0-1 at Whistling Straits and is looking to continue that momentum at home… Along with Morikawa, Adam Scott, Charley Hoffman (both went to UNLV) and Maverick McNealy (lives in Las Vegas) are a handful of golfers with Vegas connections… This is the second TOUR event in a row in Las Vegas after the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin… Justin Thomas won two of the three CJ CUPs in South Korea and looks to carry his momentum from Asia to the United States with his new caddie – Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay – on the bag.

72-HOLE RECORD: 267, Brooks Koepka (2018) | At The Summit Club (N/A)

18-HOLE RECORD: 62, Ryan Palmer (Fourth round, 2018) | At The Summit Club (N/A)

LAST TIME: Jason Kokrak shot 8-under 64 – the round of the week – to capture THE CJ CUP at Las Vegas’ Shadow Creek by two shots. It was Kokrak’s first PGA TOUR title, coming after nine years and 233 starts on TOUR. Xander Schauffele birdied three of his opening five holes, but Kokrak birdied five of his opening eight. When Schauffele couldn’t get up and down from greenside rough on 16 – and Kokrak did from a greenside bunker – it opened up enough separation between the two for Kokrak to get one hand on the trophy. He added a birdie on the 72nd hole to lock it up. Tyrrell Hatton and Russell Henley tied for third. Talor Gooch rounded out the top five.

HOW TO FOLLOW:

Television: Thursday-Sunday, 5 p.m.-8 p.m. ET (Golf Channel).

PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 10:15 a.m.-8 p.m. (Featured Groups).

: Thursday-Friday, 2 p.m.-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 3 p.m.-8 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio).