Preview

Course Info

Designer: Tom Fazio
Used Since: 2021
Fairways: Bermudagrass
Greens: Bentgrass
Water Hazards: In-play on 5 holes.
Premium on: Approach play
 

Significant Info

The course plays to an elevation of around 3,000 feet this week.  

Last year's CJ Cup course, Shadow creek, was also a Fazio design.

Continue to exercise caution in relation to Covid-19 related withdrawals.

Weather

Conditions should be ideal all week.

Thursday
Sunny, max winds 7mph.
Friday
Sunny, max winds 10mph.
Saturday
Sunny, max winds 7mph.
Sunday
Partly cloudy, max winds 7mph.

Trends

This course is being used for the first time so we have no trends to analyse.

Notable Quotes

With this being the first event played here, we have no stats available to us.  Some quotes give us an insight however,

"Fazio has done such a phenomenal job. The fairways are really wide, and he has beautiful bunkering." - Tony Renaud, Vice President of Sales at The Summit Club.

"I would say this is a little bit more of a desert golf course than Shadow Creek is, but the grass is the same, the greens are -- they're kind of the same. They're very smooth, but they're definitely not as firm as Shadow Creek was last year." - Jason Kokrak

"There's a little bit of depth perception I think for the players are going to have to deal with this week as far as looking up or down. The carry numbers for some of these bunkers and lines, it will be a difficult test. But the golf course is soft. Just coming out of reseeding, it will play softer. The wind will help keep it a little firmer, but it will be a nice test. I don't think it will be quite as tough as Shadow Creek, but it's a fun golf course to play." - Jason Kokrak

"From what I remember it's all pretty right in front of you and it's not too much tricked up or hidden and I would think the scores would be pretty low this week." - Justin Thomas

"You're going to see guys hitting certain shots that might land near the pins and roll off. It might not roll off down funnels and kind of bowls off the green, but it's going to roll pretty far away. You might be seeing a lot of 50-footers, 40-footers, so you're going to see some approach shots that's really going to test that to put it in the right spot. You're going to see a lot of attacking on the par 5s, you're going to see a lot of eagles this week." - Collin Morikawa

In-play

The CJ Cup In-Play Blog

17th October 2021, 11.30am (UK time)

Our 150/1 pre-event selection, Rickie Fowler, leads the way by 2 shots at the CJ Cup.  

We've been strong on Fowler all week, having also tipped him up in-play at 60/1 after the first round and suggesting he was value after round 2 at 33/1.  

Ordinarily we'd be concerned about Fowler's ability to close this out given he has a 2⭐ Golf Betting Club Pressure Performance Rating.  He's only converted two of seven 54 hole leads in his career and he's been out of contention for a considerable period now.

However, his recent struggles may well put this round in perspective.  He also has considerable course experience, due to the fact he has a property on the complex.  The wind is due to switch today and Rickie will be one of the few players to have played the course in different wind conditions.   Add in the fact he is due to become a father next month and we may well see things come together for Fowler.

Rory McIlroy is the obvious threat to our position on the leader.  Like Fowler, Rory has also had a disappointing patch of golf over the past 18 months and both players will feel a win will go a long way towards righting previous wrongs.  Ominously for us, yesterday was the first time Rory gained strokes with his approach play and if he maintains that level of ball striking today, he's a huge threat to Fowler.

However, Rory too has had his problems in contention of late.  Disappointing in Abu Dhabi at the start of the year, he also went backwards at the US Open in June.  Of course, he won the Wells Fargo Championship in May but even then he didn't look altogether assured.  

This is anything but a two horse race given the three players at 18 under par are all capable of mounting a charge.  Abraham Ancer is always a danger when coming from off the pace on a Sunday.  Adam Scott has been uncharacteristically hot on the greens (4th SG: Putting) and Robert Streb has already recorded a 61 and 65 this week.

Conditions for the 4th round will be sunny with wind peaking around 11mph.  

Round 4 Bet

• No Bet - We are far from sure Rickie is going to get the job done so wouldn't put anyone off taking some profit if you are on at a big price. If it were a two horse race, we would recommend covering McIlroy but the nature of the course means we could see a winner from off the pace and there are plenty still in this. We will have our fingers crossed that Fowler continues his fine ball striking and comes in for us.