Oh-oo-oh, you think you're special
Oh-oo-oh, you think you're something else
Okay, so you type out your name in capital letters
That don't impress me much
Shania Twain knows a thing or two about vacuousness, and she simply won't stand for it. It is safe to assume, if she's as good as the word of her 1997 hit, that Twain would refuse to type THE CJ CUP @ THE SUMMIT in capital letters, nor with an 'at' sign. The Canadian songstress would call it the CJ Cup and mention the course later on. We should all follow her lead.
Twain also knows a thing or two about Las Vegas residencies, her next one set to begin on December 2 at Zappos Theater. The CJ Cup on the other hand is a relative newcomer to this domain, set to enter its second year having found a temporary home of its own following the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020. One day, it shall return to Korea, but for now it remains part of the package in Sin City, and the strip itself is the wallpaper as we get our first look at The Summit Club.
The Texan produced a brilliant display as the rookie with most to prove having been a surprise selection to some. Over the first two days he partnered DeChambeau and with some success, but it was in Sunday singles that he came of age. Scheffler destroyed Rahm and with it any lingering European hope; he did so not because the Spaniard played poorly, but because he was sensational.
That low-scoring event showed the ambidextrous Aussie at his best and I quite like how he's performed since, making the cut in all three events which had one and ending his season with 31st and 29th across two starts in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
The upside though is that he's one of the top five players in this field on form this year, during which he's played arguably the best golf of his career, yet he's down at 10th or 11th in the betting.
Of course, that's because Oosthuizen still seeks a first PGA Tour win outside of the Open Championship some 11 years ago, and for reasons self-evident is considered a threat only in majors. I don't necessarily see it that way. Yes, he's found a way to prepare for the four most important tournaments, his demeanour and adaptability both outstanding, but he's more likely to win this than he is the Masters in my mind.
Part of the case was that Swafford seems particularly fond of Fazio courses, having won and finished sixth in the Dominican Republic, contended at Conway Farms, and earlier this year finished second at Congaree.
He enhanced that record at Caves Valley when under real pressure and ended the season in really good form, putting together finishes of 37th, 11th and 17th, and ending 10 of those 12 rounds inside the top 20 in really good company.
The new campaign started on a low note at the Fortinet Championship and he missed the cut on the number a week later at the Sanderson Farms, but three good rounds in four at the Shriners suggest all is not lost, especially as he gained strokes both off the tee and with his approaches.
Swafford will plainly need to improve again, but he's won in the desert at PGA West and contended in Phoenix, so with that Fazio form in mind there's enough to suggest he can do that. At 250/1 generally and bigger in places, he merits a speculative bet in this limited field.
Also eighth in The American Express, An might just love this course and he'll know he's lucky to be here, invited as one of the leading Korean players not otherwise exempt. Given that he's just lost his PGA Tour card, this is a big opportunity and one he'll be desperate to take.
It seems fanciful to suggest he could go on and win, given that he failed to fire at Korn Ferry Tour Finals and has looked a little lost since going to work with Sean Foley. But a strong start is not beyond him, having been inside the top 10 at the end of round one four times this year, including at the Open and on a Fazio course in the Palmetto Championship.
An led this tournament in Korea two years ago and was fourth at the equivalent stage in 2018. All told he's landed the place money or better in this market 10 times on the PGA Tour, leading here and in the Wyndham, and four of these were in the desert where he's perhaps most comfortable, another two in THE CJ CUP @ VARIOUS.
Okay, so you're a fast starter. That would impress me much.
Posted at 1200 BST on 12/10/21
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