This article is part of our FanDuel PGA DFS Picks series.
THE CJ CUP in South Carolina
Course: Congaree Golf Club (7,655 yards, par 71)
Purse: $10,500,000
Winner: $1,775,000 and 500 FedExCup points
Tournament Preview
The best field of the fall portion of the PGA Tour schedule will take place this week at the CJ Cup in South Carolina. In total 15 of the top-20 in the OWGR will tee it up led by World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Rory McIlroy. For the second straight week this tournament will feature a 78-man field with no 36-hole cut. The top-60 available players from the previous season's FedExCup standings will make up the large majority of the field, while roughly 10 players from the Korean and Asian tours will also be eligible to tee it up thanks to the tournament being sponsored by the CJ Group based in South Korea. The first three editions of this event were played at Nine Bridges Golf Club in Jeju Island, South Korea, but this will be the third straight edition played in the U.S. Each of the previous two CJ Cup's were played in Las Vegas at Shadow Creek and The Summit Club, respectively. In 2022 it will take place at Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina which most recently hosted the Palmetto Championship on the PGA Tour in 2021, which was an added event in place of the RBC Canadian Open due to challenges related to COVID-19. It's unclear what the future of the CJ Cup will be with the PGA Tour moving to a calendar-based schedule after this season.
The top contenders from last week at the ZOZO Championship will hope to continue their good play back on U.S. soil. Keegan Bradley won for the first time in four years, while Rickie Fowler and Andrew Putnam nearly ended long winless-spells of their own. Fortinet Championship winner Max Homa and Shriners Open winner Tom Kim will also tee it up in South Carolina. The 20-year-old leads a strong Korean contingent that also includes fellow Presidents Cup members Sungjae Im, Si Woo Kim, and K.H. Lee. Justin Thomas will be looking for his third CJ Cup victory after winning the event in 2017 and 2019.
We will be in store for perfect weather conditions this week. Temperatures will rise into the upper-70's by Sunday and there is not a significant threat of rain or wind any of the four tournament rounds. When Congaree hosted the Palmetto Championship in June of 2021 the conditions were calm for the most part as well, but heavy rains the week prior kept the golf course pretty soft. Even with the moisture it still netted out as the second-hardest course of all non-majors that season with Garrick Higgo winning at 11-under-par. Now being held in October, expect the course to play much firmer and potentially more difficult as well despite an incredibly talented field.
Recent Champions
2021 - Rory McIlroy (The Summit Club)
2020 - Jason Kokrak (Shadow Creek)
2019 - Justin Thomas (Nine Bridges)
2018 - Brooks Koepka (Nine Bridges)
2017 - Justin Thomas (Nine Bridges)
Key Stats to Victory
- SG: Off-the-Tee
- GIR Percentage
- SG: Around-the-Green
- Proximity 175-200 yards
Champion's Profile
Congaree was designed by Tom Fazio who sought to replicate the style of layout that is common in Australia's Sandbelt region in Melbourne. There is very little rough that will come into play, as Congaree is mostly just fairway and sand. While wind won't come into play this week, it still will play a little like a links course would. Once the ball hits the ground, we will see a lot more movement that what is typical for a PGA Tour setup, which will reward creativity.
At over 7,600 yards, length will certainly be a factor this week. The fairways and on the generous end, but if you're able to carry the ball 300+ yards in the air that will give you a big advantage because it will allow you to fly a number of hazards and cut off some of the doglegs. Iron play will be important like it is every week on Tour, but specifically in that 175-200 yard range where I suspect we will see a lot of opportunities this week with a number of lengthy par-4's.
The greens at Congaree are pretty average in size, but feature a lot of undulation and movement that can propel balls off the green and into some very tricky closely mown run-off areas. Short game play will be essential to be able to contend this week due to the multitude of shots that will be required around the greens in firm conditions. The bermuda greens are expected to run as fast as 13 on the Stimpmeter. With most of the field being pretty unfamiliar to these quick surfaces, putting is not a primary concern for me this week.
FanDuel Value Picks
The Chalk
Justin Thomas ($11,600)
Power, elite iron play, and great touch around the greens? Check, check, and check. Thomas ranked top-20 on Tour last season in SG: Off-the-Tee, driving distance, SG: Approach, proximity from 175-200 yards, SG: Around-the-Green and scrambling. He was one of the driving forces that led Team USA to another Presidents Cup victory, posting a 4-1-0 record. Unfamiliar fast bermuda surfaces should play to his cause.
Scottie Scheffler ($11,500)
The world No. 1 checks in with only the fourth highest salary, and his game is a perfect fit for the challenges Congaree presents. Last season Scheffler ranked fourth in SG: Approach, fourth in SG: Tee-to-Green, first in GIR percentage and second in proximity in 175-200 yards. He certainly has the length required to contend here and his short game gets vastly overlooked considering all his other skills. Scheffler will also be motivated after struggling at the Presidents Cup.
Jordan Spieth ($11,300)
Spieth comes in as the fifth-highest salary this week after his 5-0-0 performance at the Presidents Cup a few weeks ago. A firm and fast course that requires a lot of shotmaking and creativity is a vintage Spieth setup. His newly found distance should come in handy at Congaree and his iron play remains one of the strongest on the PGA Tour. Putting has been the only struggle for Spieth, but unfamiliar fast surfaces with a lot of undulation should play to his strengths.
Shane Lowry ($10,600)
Lowry is coming off his best statistical season on the PGA Tour and more recently won the BMW PGA Championship on the DP World Tour over a tremendous field of stars. I love Lowry's course fit due to his improved iron play, added distance and always reliable short game. Lowry ranked ninth in SG: Approach, second in proximity to the hole, third in scrambling and first in proximity to the hole from the sand last season.
Longer Shots with Value
Tom Hoge ($9,700)
This is a bargain even in this type of a field considering how well Hoge is playing. After a T9 finish last week, he has began the season with three straight top-12 results. He has been very impressive both with his irons and in the short game over the last couple seasons. During the previous campaign, Hoge led the PGA Tour by a mile in proximity from 175-200 yards, which should be key for his chances this week.
Cam Davis ($9,200)
I was really high on Davis coming into this season, but it's been a bit of a slow start with no top-25's through his first three starts. I'm willing to stick with him this week at Congaree considering this course should play very much like a lot of the courses he played growing up in Australia. Davis has the length needed and he was 14th last season in proximity from that important 175-200 yard range.
Tommy Fleetwood ($8,900)
Fleetwood seems to always play well on links style courses thanks to solid iron play and a really strong short game. Last season Fleetwood ranked 16th in proximity from 175-200 yards, fifth in SG: Around-the-Green and third in proximity from the sand. The Englishman took a break after the Open, but has been playing all over the world recently and his game is pretty sharp.
Keith Mitchell ($8,800)
We've said this is going to be an important driving week and not many are better in that department than Mitchell. The former Georgia Bulldog ranked fourth in SG: Off-the-Tee and second in total driving last season. Mitchell also has a pretty underrated short game, as he was top-20 in scrambling. He will be very comfortable on these bermuda greens as well.
Strategy Tips This Week
Based on a Standard $60K Salary Cap
With this being a 78-man field with no cut, ownership will be pretty high for the $10,000+ range. To separate yourself from people, you're best off taking a couple chances at the bottom of your lineup even if that means leaving some salary on the table. Some cheap options with solid course fit that could pay off nicely this week are Wyndham Clark ($7,700), Lee Hodges ($7,500), Brendan Steele ($7,500), and Trey Mullinax ($7,300).
