After a Zozo Championship that thrilled us with a Sunday tussle between Rickie Fowler and the victorious Keegan Bradley, the PGA Tour returns to the States and Congaree in South Carolina. Scroll down to see who I think will win the 2022 CJ Cup, but first…
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2022 CJ Cup details
Venue: Congaree Golf Club, South Carolina, USA
Dates: October 20-23, 2022
Course stats: Par 71; 7,685 yards
Course summary: Sand-capped fairways promote firm and fast playing conditions, while large waste areas are scattered around the course to snaffle anything wayward. Large greens feature large run-offs to punish anything short, so approach play is vital on this Tom Fazio design.
Purse: €10.5 million
Defending champion: Rory McIlroy (-25)
2022 CJ Cup TV times
Thursday: Sky Sports Golf and Main Event from 8pm
Friday: Sky Sports Golf from 8pm
Saturday: Sky Sports Golf from 8pm
Sunday: Sky Sports Golf from 8pm
2022 CJ Cup golf betting tips
The Banker: Rickie Fowler @ 66/1 with Bet365
While it came at a different course, Rickie Fowler finished 3rd in this event last year, and there’s every reason to think he is in a better place now. Having swallowed an immense amount of pride, the American has gone back where he needed to – working with Butch Harmon.
The move appears to have a paid off, as Fowler has finished 6th and 2nd already this season. While ultimately Keegan Bradley got the job done last week, contending in Japan looked another big step forward for him.
We put Fowler up at the Shriners Children’s Open, based on previous form there, the knowledge of him working with Harmon, and his T6 at the Fortinet, and he unfortunately missed the cut, but this week there’s no chance of that in a no-cut event! There are concerns, like jet lag and not getting over the line when he had the chance, but he’s experienced enough to deal with both issues, and I think his form can carry him through.
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Fowler now heads to a Tom Fazio course, which could be a good omen for him, given one of his standout victories came at the Wells Fargo Championship, hosted by the Fazio-designed, Quail Hollow. Both courses demand and encourage heavy use of the driver, and if that part of Fowler’s game is clicking he can hang with the best.
With 6th and 2nd place finishes already in three starts this season, this promises to be a big season for Fowler, and he can get a win in strong company here, at 66-1.
The Each-Way Play: Jason Day @ 70/1 with Bet365
Jason Day has a win, two 9th place finishes and a 24th place finish at the Wells Fargo, and also finished 1st and 4th at the BMW Championship, at Conway Farms. This shows his clear love for Fazio designs, so like Fowler he should enjoy a visit to Congaree, even if it is a different test to the other he’s faced in the past.
Although not recently, on his day (pardon the pun), Jason is a magician around the greens, which should serve him well at a course that requires good hands around the greens. The hope is he won’t be spending too much time in either, but if – and when he does – we hope to see him getting up-and-down.
5th in strokes gained tee-to-green and 8th in strokes gained approach at the Shriners, Day looks to be in good form coming into this one, and like Fowler, will be looking to continue a fine start, to what could be an important season.
Day has had some unfortunate issues both on and off the course, but he’s still just 34. While some have seemingly written him off already, there is no reason why he cannot return to be the player he was in 2015/2016 if he can keep his injury issues in his rear-view, and mentally get in a good place.
The Long Shot: Harris English @ 110/1 with Bet365
Harris English was 14th on this golf course, at the Palmetto Championship last year, but was 2nd at the 54-hole stage and really should have challenged for the title. In the end it was a poor Sunday for English who along with Chesson Hadley had a grip on the title, before ceding the event to Garrick Higgo.
English struggled after the Ryder Cup, a lot of which was injury related, but a lot of that looks to be behind him now, and with 9th and 28th place finishes already this season, it looks like English may be on track to succeed again.
A final-round 66 at the Fortinet and a final-round 65 at the Shriners are both encouraging signs he could be getting back to his best, and that coupled with his effort here last year make English an intriguing prospect at triple digits.
In his two made cuts this season, English has ranked inside the top-10 for strokes gained around the green, and that could come in useful at this golf course, given the demands on these golfers when a green is missed.
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