CJ Cup betting tips: Viva Na Vegas – Kevin has point to prove
Odds and preview for this week’s PGA Tour tournament
There are plenty of big names competing at the Summit Club in Las Vegas this week and we look at the odds to find some CJ Cup betting tips.
The fourth event of the 2021-22 PGA Tour regular season is limited to the top 60 players from the prior season’s FedExCup points list, plus sponsors’ exemptions.
Jason Kokrak, who captured his first Tour title in nine years in 2020 when this event was played at Shadow Creek, is back to defend his title. Other winners of this event include Justin Thomas (2017 and 2019) and Brooks Koepka (2018)
Designed by Tom Fazio, the Summit Club measures 7,431 yards and is a par 72, with plenty of huge bunkers and several water hazards.
Market leaders
Plenty of the usual suspects will be in contention and Dustin Johnson (pictured below), who is a 24-time PGA Tour winner and 2020 FedExCup champion, will hope to carry over his good Ryder Cup form.
The 37-year-old was imperious at Whistling Straights, where he became only the fifth player in Ryder Cup history to go 5-0 as the USA defeated Europe 19-9. He has nine top-10 finishes this year and is 12/1 to win this weekend.
Thomas is a dual winner of this tournament and has been in good form, underlined by his T4 at the Northern Trust and his fourth-place finish at the Tour Championship. Also fourth in the FedExCup standings, he is a 12/1 chance.
Xander Schauffele was runner-up in this event last year and posted two other runner-up efforts in the Phoenix Open and Farmers Insurance Open. Third in the Masters, the Olympic gold-medal winner is playing some of his best golf and is likewise a 12/1 shot.
Collin Morikawa must be considered at 16/1 for CJ Cup betting tips as he is not only the Open champion, he is also a member of the Summit Club so should be right at home.
At larger odds
After a poor start to the year, Texas Open winner and Open Championship runner-up Jordan Spieth has started to find consistency over the last six months or so. He was a member of the victorious Ryder Cup squad and is on a high, so goes on the CJ Cup betting tips list at 18/1.
Viktor Hovland, a two-time Tour winner and a recent fifth in the FedExCup, is accurate off the tee and has plenty of distance too. He is as consistent as they come and he merits respect at 25/1.
Webb Simpson missed the cut last weekend, which was slightly unnerving, since he had made nine straight cuts at TPC Summerlin. Still, he has won in Las Vegas and is worthy of consideration at 30/1.
Elsewhere
Scottie Scheffler took down Jon Rahm (who is favourite to win the Andalucia Masters this week) in the singles at Whistling Straights on his Ryder Cup debut but the world number 22, who had three top-10s in major championships last season, missed the Shriners cut. He could soon be breaking his PGA Tour duck and is a 33/1 shot.
Kevin Na really should have been in the Ryder Cup team, especially given his recent form which saw him record T2 in the John Deere Classic, T2 at the Wyndham, T8 at the Northern Trust and third at the Tour Championship. Na is one of the most consistent players around at present and has a point to prove. He is a 50/1 shot and will no doubt have his supporters.
Charley Hoffman is another who should be able to sample some home comforts, as he went to the nearby University of Las Vegas. Hoffman has not been in blistering form this year – his best was a T22 at the Fortinet Championship – but it appeared as though his game was coming together when shooting nine-under for a T44 finish at the Shriners Children’s Open last week. He is a 90/1 shot this week.
While we look at horses for courses, Maverick McNealy is a Las Vegas native and it would be no surprise to see him contend at 70/1 as the last of our CJ Cup betting tips.
All odds and markets correct at the time of publication
