Due to COVID concerns, The CJ Cup repositioned from Nine Bridges in South Korea to famed Shadow Creek Golf Course In Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 78-man field will be missing world No. 1 Dustin Johnson (due to a positive CV test) but still features a plethora of big-time names, including 15 of the top-20 ranked players in the world.
Some of the marquee headliners include Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Rory Milroy, Xander Schauffele, and newly-minted BMW PGA Champion Tyrrell Hatton.
As we do each week, we’ll look at the event’s history, the viewing schedule, the field, the odds, and whatnot.
The Skinny
Tournament: The CJ Cup
Dates:Â Oct. 15-18, 2020
Where: Las Vegas, Nevada
Course:Â Shadow Creek GC
Distance: Par 72, 7527 yards
Architect: Tom Fazio (1990)
Format: 72 players, 72 holes, no cut, stroke
Purse: $9,750,000
Winning Share: $1,755,000
FedExCup/OWGR Points: 500/70
Defending Champion:Â Justin Thomas
How To Watch & Follow
Round 1, THU
12:45 pm – 8:00 pm (PGA TOUR LIVE)
05:00 pm – 8:00 pm (GOLF)
Round 2, FRI
12:45 pm – 8:00 pm (PGA TOUR LIVE)
05:00 pm – 8:00 pm (GOLF)
Round 3, SAT
12:45 pm – 8:00 pm (PGA TOUR LIVE)
05:00 pm – 8:00 pm (GOLF)
Round 4, SUN
12:45 pm – 8:00 pm (PGA TOUR LIVE)
05:00 pm – 8:00 pm (GOLF)
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
History: The CJ CUP
The three-year old CJ Cup may lack a deep history but its past champions are two of the game’s biggest stars with world No. 3 Justin Thomas bookending titles (2017 and 2019) between four-time major winner Brooks Koepka (2018).
The CJ Cup was initially inserted into the PGA Tour’s wrap-around portion of its 2017-18 schedule. For its first three editions it acted as the second stop of a three-week Asian swing, proceeded by the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, China.
Played annually on South Korea’s Jeju Island, THE CJ CUP will make a one-year move to the iconic Shadow Creek in Las Vegas before returning to Asia in 2021.
The Tom Fazio-designed Vegas masterpiece recently hosted the first made-for-TV match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, giving golf fans a glance of the ultra-exclusive layout.
History: Winners
2019: Justin Thomas (-20)
2018: Brooks Koepka (-21)
2017: Justin Thomas (-9)
History: Records
Scoring
72-Holes: 267, Brooks Koepka (2018)
18-Holes: 62, Ryan Palmer (2018, Rd 4)
Winning Margin: 4, Brooks Koepka (2018)
Wins
2 – Justin Thomas (2017, 2019)
Defending Champion
With a birdie on the final hole, Justin Thomas posted a final-round 67 to claim a two-stroke victory at the third-annual CJ Cup.
Thomas finished his final day at the Club at Nine Bridges with seven birdies against two bogeys to reach 20-under par, two better than Danny Lee (69).
The win was Thomas’ 11th of his career, and first of a three victories in 2019-20 season.
Final Top-5 Finishers
Pos-Player-To Par (Final Rd)
1. Justin Thomas -20 (-5)
2. Danny Lee -18 (-3)
3. Hideki Matsuyama -15 (-7)
3. Gary Woodland -15 (-5)
3. Cameron Smith -15 (-3)
Field: World Rank & Odds
Even with Dustin Johnson withdrawing due to a positive COVID test, the field in Las Vegas is stacked with 15 of the world’s top-20 ranked players, headlined by three of the top-5 in Jon Ram (No. 2), Justin Thomas (3), and Rory McIlroy (4).
Other top-10 ranked players in the field include reigning PGA Champion Collin Morikawa (6), Xander Schauffele (8), and Tyrrell Hatton, who enters off a big win at Wentworth.
Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, who won the CJ Cup in 2018, is scheduled to make his return after a two-month layoff due to injury.
Several other former major winners will also be teeing it up in Vegas, including: Jordan Spieth (2015 Masters and U.S. Open, 2017 Open), Sergio Garcia (2017 Masters), Jason Day (2015 PGA), Keegan Bradley (2011 PGA), and Louis Oosthuizen (2010 Open).
Top-5 Betting Favorites
1. Jon Rahm (9-1)
2. Justin Thomas (11-1)
3. Rory McIlroy (12-1)
4. Xander Schauffele (12-1)
5. Matthew Wolff (18-1)
Field: Rank and Odds
The CJ Cup | Shadow Creek GC | Las Vegas, NV | Oct. 15-18, 2020
Field: Tee Times, Pairings
Marquee Pairings
- Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Sungjae Im
- Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schuaffele
- Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Matthew Wolff
- Sergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy, Si Woo Kim
