PGA Tour: The 2019 CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges Preview & Prediction

THE FACTS

When is the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES? Thursday 17^th to Sunday 20^th of October 2019

Where is the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES? Nine Bridges, Jeju Island, Korea

What is the total prize fund of the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES? €9,750,000

What television channel can I watch the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES on in the UK? Sky Sports Golf

Where can I stream the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES in the UK? Sky Sports subscribers can stream the tournament online via Sky Go

Where can I get tickets for the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES? https://en.thecjcup.com:452/tickets.asp

What is the course yardage at Nine Bridges? 7,196 Yards

What is the par at Nine Bridges? 72

What is the predicted weather for the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES? Low winds throughout the week and mostly sunny with some showers expected during Friday’s play. Temperatures averaging 19c.

TSZ TIPS

JUSTIN THOMAS

• The former world number one has started his 2020 season with a T4 at the Safeway Open which comes off the back of a T3 finish and a victory at the end of the 2019 season.
• A title here in 2018 was followed with a disappointing defence finishing in a T36 before going on a run of four top 10s in his next six-starts with a high of T16.
• Ranked 3^rd SG: total this season and fourth in 2019 which is remarkable considering he ranked 144^th SG: putting, suggesting a good week on the greens will make him difficult to beat.

TIP: Outright Winner

JASON DAY

• The Australian makes his first start of the PGA Tour’s 2020 season after an inconsistent 2019 which yielded four top five finishes and 11 top 25s but with a high of only T4.
• A T11 here in 2017 was improved with a T5 last year where Day played the opening two-rounds at level par, suggesting a faster start this year could see him near the top of the leaderboard come Sunday.
• Day showed signs last season of regaining the type of form that took him to world number one but his approach-the-green game prevented him, where he ranked 127^th strokes-gained, and he will need to sharpen up if he is to make it back to the player he was.

TIP: Top 5 Finish

RAFA CABRERA BELLO

• The Spaniard has recorded a T6 and runner-up in his previous three-starts in his native European Tour and makes his first PGA Tour start of the 2020 season in fine form.
• A T11 here in 2017 was followed by a T3 which yielded back-to-back 65s over the weekend, the lowest cumulative score in the field.
• Rafa has no notable weaknesses within his game, where he gained strokes in every department last season and ranks sixth SG: total this season on the European Tour.

TIP: Top 10 Finish

CAMERON SMITH

• Two top 25 finishes from three starts for Smith this season, having only recording one top 15 finish since February until a T13 on his last outing, suggests he has worked hard on his game during a short off-season.
• A T3 here in 2017, finishing just one-stroke behind the winner, was followed with a T7 that included an opening round 74.
• Smith must continue to improve on his driving if he is to extend his current form, where he ranked 140^th SG: off-the-tee last season, but he has increased his driving distance by eight yards so far this season.

TIP: Top 20 Finish

CHEZ REAVIE

• After a great 2019 season where he finished eighth in the FedEx Cup, he recorded his second career tour victory and first since 2008.
• A T15 here in 2017 was followed by a T7 last year, but with two starts of the 2020 season resulting in one missed cut and a T33 the American will need to rediscover last season’s game.
• Ranked 26^th SG: tee-to-green suggests the long-game is in strong order but 177^th SG: putting shows where he will need to develop if he is to continue his course-form around Nine Bridges.

TIP: Make Cut