Quick look at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES

Welcome to the Asian Swing. The PGA TOUR will spend the next three weeks in Asia, starting with this week’s THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES in Korea (followed by tournaments in Japan and China). In case you were wondering: South Korea is 13 hours ahead for those on the East Coast, so you’ll have plenty of late-night golf to follow. RELATED: Tee times | How to watch THE FLYOVER The 568-yard par-5 18th is one of the most unique holes on the PGA TOUR, with twin distinct ways to reach the green – a risk and reward approach on the left and a safer but three-shot approach to the right. Click here for more on the 18th. If you’re behind by a couple of shots … well, the choice of attack seems fairly easy to make. WEATHER CHECK The weather at Jeju Island should be pleasant all week, although a 50% chance of rain exists for Friday’s second round. Humidity will also be highest on that day. Winds will be manageable, reaching 12 mph in the first two rounds. For the latest weather news from JeJu Island, South Korea, check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK CJ just puts on an unbelievable event. The food is incredible, the golf course is awesome, you get a great amount of fans that come out and watch and support. … I feel like this has been a great addition to the PGA TOUR schedule. By the numbers 16 – Players from South Korea who are in the field this week. 29 – Brooks Koepka’s back-nine score (7 under) in his final-round 64 last year en route to winning. 8 – PGA TOUR wins by K.J. Choi, making him the winningest South Korean player on TOUR. Scattershots Big hitters course: With Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka as the two winners in this event, it’s evident the Nine Bridges course favors big hitters. “I think length is a huge advantage here; obviously you’ve seen that with Justin Thomas winning, Brooks Koepka winning,â€� said another one of the TOUR’s big hitters, Gary Woodland, who was runner-up to Koepka last year. “If you hit the golf ball a long way, it’s a huge advantage, but you have to drive the golf ball in the fairway to attack some of these — there’s some big greens out there where they can get some tight pins. So playing from the fairway is a premium, and then the biggest challenge out here is the weather. If the wind’s blowing, this golf course becomes extremely tough.â€� Seeking a pick: Several players in consideration for a captain’s pick for the Presidents Cup in December are playing this week, including American hopeful Jordan Spieth, who is making his tournament debuts this week. Spieth would like to regain the form that has allowed him to become a mainstay in recent team competitions. “My goals are pretty personal right now,â€� Spieth said. “So I certainly want to get back in the winner’s circle, it’s been a little while, and I would like to be more consistent this year, being able to tee it up on Sundays with chances to win more consistently and that comes from better ball-striking.â€� JT in Asia: Of his 10 career victories, Justin Thomas has won three times during the Asian Swing, including his first two career wins in the CIMB Classic. “Asia definitely got the start of my career going and I have a lot of great memories and I’ve learned a lot,â€� Thomas said. “There’s a lot of times when I’m coming down the stretch in tournaments, I’m able to look back on these events knowing that I’ve done well.  So it’s a very special place. I’ve always enjoyed coming here. Everybody treats me and everybody else so well, so that’s very enjoyable. Hopefully we’ll be able to create some more memories.â€�

Click here to read the full article…