Paulie’s Picks: 2019 CJ Cup at Nine Bridges

This week the PGA Tour’s Asian swing starts with the CJ Cup in South Korea. This is the third edition of the event, which has taken place from the beginning at the Club at Nine Bridges.

Believe it or not, the CJ Cup is one of my favorite non-major Tour events to watch. It offers prime-time golf on a course that, in benign wind, yields an insane amount of birdies and eagles. In selecting a type of player that would thrive at such a course, I lean toward longer hitters who can be selectively aggressive. Nine Bridges presents plenty of risk-reward options, including short par 4s and reachable par 5s. Knowing when and how to go for it is a key to success.

With that in mind, here are three players you should consider rostering in DraftKings this week:

Brooks Koepka $11,400

Only two players have odds better than 18/1 to win the CJ Cup—JT and Koepka—and both come in at single-digit odds. This is a massive spread, which isn’t fully reflected in DraftKings pricing. Even though Koepka won this event last year, I expect a lot of people to avoid rostering him after his missed cut in in Vegas two weeks ago. But I just can’t overlook the fact that there are two clear top players in the CJ Cup field, and Brooks might come in at only half the ownership percentage of Thomas. Nine Bridges rewards players who hit the ball long and know when to press. That’s Brooks Koepka in a nutshell.

Matthew Wolff $8,800

I see Wolff as a younger version of Koepka. He drives it long and straight, takes calculated risks, and makes a lot of birdies. On a course like Nine Bridges, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Wolff contend. His price seems a bit cheap compared to Morikawa’s ($10,100) and Hovland’s ($10,500), both of whom rate out similar to Wolff in upside at the CJ Cup.

Adam Long $6,700

Long has quietly performed very consistently so far in the 2019-20 season, finishing in the top 25 in all three starts. During those events, he has gained over 16 shots combined off the tee and on approach; clearly he is flushing it right now. At $6,700, Long provides plenty of value for your CJ Cup lineup, as another top-25 finish for him seems likely.