CJ Cup DFS Picks: From Rory McIlroy to Brian Harman

In the age of COVID-19, the CJ Cup, normally played at Nine Bridges in South Korea, will take place at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas this week. Justin Thomas won the event two of the past three years, a stat that might prove irrelevant given the change of venue. Shadow Creek is a par 72 that will play at 7,257 yards for the CJ Cup, a no-cut event featuring 78 players. Below are five golfers to consider for your DFS rosters.

Rory McIlroy ($10,600 on DraftKings, $11,800 on FanDuel)

The Irishman disappointed for much of the 2019-20 season but, toward the end of the year, began to flash the skill that won him four majors. That included three finishes inside the top 12 to close the season. Even a “bad” season by McIlroy’s standards stacks up awfully well statistically, as he made 16 of 16 cuts with eight top 10s and a win. I expect McIlroy to be lower owned among the top-tier players this week, as most DFS money will go toward Thomas and Matthew Wolff.

Sungjae Im ($8,700 on DK, $9,900 on FD)

To my detriment, I’ve picked Im several times after the restart to the season. But, I gave up on him too early. Im has played solid golf in the past two months, with four consecutive top-30 finishes. He led the field at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open last week in shots gained off-the-tee by hitting 86% of fairways. If not for poor putting, the South Korean would have finished much better than a tie for 13th.

Abraham Ancer ($8,200 on DK, $9,400 on FD)

Ancer’s fourth-place finish in the Shriners, which included four rounds of 67 or lower, could indicate a bright future in the 2020-21 season for the Mexican player. After an up-and-down end to the 2019-20 season, it can be easy to forget Ancer was one of the hottest players on tour after the restart in June, posting finishes of 14th, second, 11th, and 15th in four of his first five events after play resumed. Certainly, Vegas likes Ancer this week, as he’s 45:1 to win the event — good odds for a guy this low on the salary list.

Bubba Watson ($7,300 on DK, $8,400 on FD)

Given his talent, it’s always striking to see Watson with a salary this low. But Watson proved sneakily solid through the stretch run of the 2019-20 season without posting any top 10s. He notched three finishes inside the top 25 in his last five events, and finished 31st at the US Open. Watson gained strokes on approach and off-the-tee in six of his past seven events. The course layout for Shadow Creek will also help the left-hander in the CJ Cup, with several left-to-right doglegs.

Brian Harman ($7,200 on DK, $8,300 on FD)

Like Watson, Harman looks to be a solid value play just above $7K on DK for the CJ Cup. His 13th in the Shriners represented his eighth straight made cut, and he’s not exactly just scraping by as he’s scored three top 15s during that span.