CJ Cup: Top 10 power rankings at The Club at Nine Bridges

The PGA Tour’s three-week Asian Swing begins in South Korea with the third running of the CJ Cup at The Club at Nine Bridges.

What do Houston, Texas, and Jeju Island, South Korea have in common? Frankly, not a whole lot. But one thing they do share in common is being neighbors on the PGA Tour schedule. The strength of the field at last week’s Houston Open suffered due to big names sitting out in advance of this week’s 78-player, guaranteed money event with the CJ Cup.

The Club at Nine Bridges in Jeju Island, South Korea, continues as host venue for the third edition of this event.

A pair of American stars won the first two events. Justin Thomas prevailed in 2017 and Brooks Koepka ascended to world No. 1 for the first time with a dominant win in 2018.

Those two make up some of the star power here this week. Houston attracted zero world top-30 players. Ten of the top 30 are at the CJ Cup.

The field will take on a 7,196-yard par 72 layout. Elevation is approximately 3,500 feet above sea level, meaning the ball’s going to travel a bit further.

The course is tree-lined with a creek and other hazards (approximately 100 bunkers) coming into play throughout. It’s a relatively easy course if you can avoid big misses. There are several dog legs to combat Nine Bridge’s lack of length.

Greens are bentgrass.

Conditions were tough in 2017, which led to a winning score of 9-under. Last year in more suitable weather, Koepka won at 21-under.

The early week forecast hints at a relatively dry week with temperatures topping in the low 70s and winds in the low double digits.

Stats to watch include strokes gained off the tee, birdie or better rate and par-5 scoring. Keep in mind, there is no ShotLink stat-keeping on the Asian swing.

Let’s dive into who has the best chance to hoist the CJ Cup: