PGA Tour: CJ Cup top five sleeper picks

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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – OCTOBER 15: Sung Kang of South Korea speaks to his caddie on the 15th hole 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) /

Sung Kang, aka Sunghoon Kang (no relation to LPGA Tour star Danielle Kang), showed well in his home continent last week with a T3 at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia. Could that carry over into his home country this week?

Based on his recent performance, I say yes. The 30-year-old has been somewhat of a journeyman on the fringe of maintaining his PGA Tour card, but he now seems to have found a groove.

Kang is at a career-best 80th in the Official World Golf ranking thanks to a runner-up, a third place and two more top-10s as part of 20 made cuts in 28 tries in 2017.

He was in the 60s for three of four rounds last week and finished three shots behind runner-up Keegan Bradley as Pat Perez cruised to victory. Kang is gunning for his first career PGA Tour win as he came close earlier in the year finishing solo second at the Shell Houston Open, three behind champ Russell Henley.

He is no stranger to playing well in South Korea as both of his two career worldwide wins came on home soil: He won the Korean Tour’s Kolon Korea Open and CJ Invitational in 2013. He also was runner-up at the Asian Tour/European Tour Ballantine’s Championship in 2009.

Kang was 54th in birdie average (3.7 per round) and 50th in eagles (166.9 holes per eagle) last season on the PGA Tour. He doesn’t have any overwhelming strength to his game, but owns positive marks in all major strokes-gained categories except for a minor negative around-the-green.

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