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PGA Tour: CJ Cup top five sleeper picks

By Mike Randleman

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - OCTOBER 15: Sung Kang of South Korea in action during the final round of the 2017 CIMB Classic at TPC Kuala Lumpur on October 15, 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Stanley Chou/Getty Images)
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - OCTOBER 15: Sung Kang of South Korea in action during the final round of the 2017 CIMB Classic at TPC Kuala Lumpur on October 15, 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Stanley Chou/Getty Images) /
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CJ Cup
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – OCTOBER 13: Cameron Smith of Australia in action during round two of the 2017 CIMB Classic at TPC Kuala Lumpur on October 13, 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Stanley Chou/Getty Images) /

Cameron Smith got off to a solid start last week on the opening leg of the PGA Tour’s newfound Asian swing. The 24-year-old Aussie notched his best individual finish of the calendar year placing T5 last week at the CIMB Classic thanks to bookending 64s.

Smith has had an up-and-down 2017 with 10 missed cuts in 22 tries, but he showed plenty of potential in his second full season on the PGA Tour in 2016-17.

He has three top-10s this year and teamed with Jonas Blixt to win the inaugural team event at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans to lock up his card through 2018-19.

Prior to the CIMB, Smith fell just short in his quest to make the FedEx Cup Playoffs’ Tour Championship with a T12 at the BMW Championship. Smith also tied for seventh at the Wyndham Championship in August.

Smith was 31st in birdie average last year (3.82 per round) and 12th in eagles (123 holes per eagle). He’s not a straight or terribly long hitter, but the elevation should be plenty to help him get around Nine Bridges and his short game (eighth in strokes gained around-the-green) will come in handy.

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