Just about all the things one would need from a big-time golf event was in play Thursday throughout Round 1 of the 2022 CJ Cup. Some stars performed effectively, whereas others missed 2-foot putts. One participant hit his irons higher than practically anybody within the final twenty years. Two early-week media room darlings shot a mixed double digits underneath par.
And after all, Congaree Golf Clubs confirmed out in its first PGA Tour look since summer time 2021.
Trey Mullinax and Gary Woodland share the lead at 6 underneath 1 / 4 of the way in which by the event, however they’ll have some issues within the type of prime 25 gamers on the earth coming across the flip because the week wears on. Regardless, they’re the 2 we’ll give attention to as we have a look at what occurred on Thursday at the largest PGA Tour occasion of the autumn within the CJ Cup.
The chief
1. Trey Mullinax, Gary Woodland (-6):Â These two had eerily comparable rounds. Both did their harm with their iron play and placing, and collectively they mixed to make 15 birdies on the day. Woodland summed it up effectively (and succinctly): “I had all three aspect of driving, ball-striking, putting going on, and it was a good day,” he mentioned.
Whether both can preserve it rolling all 4 rounds is one other query. Mullinax ended final season enjoying a few of his greatest golf. He gained the Barbasol Championship and completed within the prime 15 in two FedEx Cup Playoff occasions. However, he missed the reduce at every of the primary two occasions this season, and I not often belief a sizzling putter. Woodland seemingly has extra endurance, however he additionally does not have a prime 10 for the reason that U.S. Open in June. With the caliber of horses just outdoors of the highest spot, I’m additionally doubtful about his possibilities to drag off what can be his first victory for the reason that 2019 U.S. Open.
Other contenders
T3. Aaron Wise, Wyndham Clark, Tom Kim, Rory McIlroy, Cam Davis, Kurt Kitayama (-5)
T9. Viktor Hovland, Si Woo Kim, Taylor Moore, Tyrrell Hatton, Seamus Power, Sungjae Im (-4)
Wise goes to be attention-grabbing this yr. He’s not as distant from enjoying his manner onto the U.S. Ryder Cup workforce as some of us may suppose, and he had an all-time day on Thursday along with his iron play. His 5.99 strokes gained on strategy photographs was so overwhelming that he was worse than subject common in each different class and nonetheless shot 5 underneath, good for a top-five place after 18 holes.
According to Data Golf, Wise’s spherical was the Thirty first-best over the past 18 years. Some of the appears he bought have been flat-our preposterous, and I’m excited to see how he backs it up over the ultimate three days.
Tom and Rory
After Rory McIlroy’s reply to Tom Kim’s query within the press middle on Wednesday got so much run, this week has formally changed into The Tom and Rory Show at Congaree. They constituted one of many higher teams on Thursday, taking pictures a mixed 10 underneath to get into the highest 5 on the leaderboard. Kim raved about McIlroy’s size, and McIlroy mentioned Kim flushed all the things he appeared at. A duel between these two on Sunday can be all types of enjoyable.
“He didn’t really miss a shot out there,” mentioned McIlroy of Kim, who made the one bogey both of them made with a 5 at the 18th gap. “He’s a very, very solid player, plays to his strengths. Makes the same swing at it pretty much every time, like it’s very, very consistent, very steady. He was sort of picking my brain a little bit out there about like speed training, and I’m like, ‘No, no, no, no.’ I think as he gets a little older and maybe a touch stronger, he’ll get that naturally, but I was like, ‘Do not go down that path, you’re good the way you are.'”
They have been each fairly superior on Thursday.
Spieth?
Jordan Spieth shot a 4-over 75 on Thursday and duffed an incredibly short putt in the process. One spherical doesn’t a event make, however the putter was an issue final yr, and this golf course ought to swimsuit him fairly effectively. It’s not a state of affairs that must be monitored, however you want to see Spieth get off to a greater start to his 2022-23 season than T73 in a 78-player subject.
2022 CJ Cup odds, picks
- Rory McIlroy: 9/2
- Tom Kim: 9-1
- Trey Mullinax: 9-1
- Gary Woodland: 9-1
- Aaron Wise: 11-1
- Cam Davis: 12-1
- Kurt Kitayama: 16-1
- Viktor Hovland: 18-1
- Sungjae Im: 18-1
I would not contact both Mullinax or Woodland, and as foolish because it appears to again McIlroy at +450, it isn’t that dissimilar to his pre-tournament odds (+650). I’m trying a bit additional down the board at each Holand and Im, although. Both put collectively scores principally with the putter on Thursday, however each have prime 10s in certainly one of their final two begins. If both begins flagging irons, the hunt for a trophy shall be on as they sit comfortably at 18-1.