This week’s CJ Cup in SC schedule, tickets, tee times, parking, how to watch on TV
The PGA Tour makes a last-minute stop in Palmetto State for the second-straight year, staging the CJ Cup in South Carolina at Congaree Golf Club in rural Jasper County this week.
Most of the logistics for the CJ Cup will resemble those for the Palmetto Championship at Congaree from June 2021, which took a place on the schedule at the last minute after cancellation of the Canadian Open.
But two key factors will be different: the weather, with cooler October temperatures in place of the June heat; and the quality of the field this time is far stronger and will include 15 of the top 20 players in the World Golf Rankings.
The Congaree course, designed by Tom Fazio, will play around 7,700 yards to a par of 71. Tournament officials believe the layout that opened in 2017 will be more challenging with firm and fast conditions this year. Early-week rain provided softer conditions for the Palmetto Championship.
Changes to the course itself are minimal — but two main ones increase the difficulty. A new tee alters the angle to the green on the par-3 14th hole that can stretch to 260 yards. The teeing ground of the 15th, a drivable par-4, has been moved back about 10 yards to bring the sand guarding the green more into play.
Garrick Higgo won the Palmetto Championship with a four-round score of 11-under-par 273.
THE TOURNAMENT, PURSE
The CJ Cup, a relative newcomer to the PGA Tour, began in South Korea in 2017. The COVID pandemic forced the event to move to Las Vegas for the 2020 and ’21 tournaments.
Officials hoped to return the Cup to South Korea this year, but pandemic-related challenges forced a change and the event landed at Congaree.
The no-cut field is limited to 78 players with 500 FedEx Cup points going to the winner. The purse is $10.5 million, with the winner earning $1.89 million and $1.134 million for second place.
SCHEDULE, HOW TO WATCH, TEE TIMES
The course will be open to the public for the pro-am on Wednesday and for the tournament Thursday-Sunday. Gates open at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday and 7:30 a.m. the remainder of the event.
Tee times run from 9-11:10 a.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. to 1:10 p.m. during the tournament. First-round tee times will be announced Tuesday.
Television coverage will be on the Golf Channel from 3-6 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. Radio coverage will be on SiriusXM and PGATour.com from noon-6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 1-6 p.m. on Saturday and noon-5:30 p.m. on Sunday.
TICKETS
Daily grounds tickets are $25 plus taxes and fees on Wednesday, $55 plus taxes and fees on Thursday and Friday, and $60 plus taxes and fees Saturday and Sunday. Up to two children ages 15 and under are admitted free of charge with every one adult ticket.
Active-duty military, retirees, veterans and National Guard members can receive up to four complimentary tickets each day. Military members need an active GovX account to verify status. An account can be created at GovX.com.
DIRECTIONS AND PARKING
Congaree Golf Club is located on U.S. Highway 278 about 40 miles north of Savannah and five miles off Interstate 95 in Jasper County.
From Hilton Head and Savannah, take I-95 North to Exit 18. Follow state road 27-13 to U.S. 17. Turn left onto U.S. 278 and follow about 9 miles to the parking area.
From Columbia, follow I-26 East to I-95 South. Take I-95 to Exit 28 and merge onto S.C. 462 toward Coosawhatchie. Stay on 462 — there’s a right turn and then a left — to U.S. 278 and the parking area.
The general parking area is across U.S. 278 from the spectators’ entrance.
“No long shuttle rides,” says Bruce Davidson, director of golf for The Friedkin Group.
THE FIELD
Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked player, and No. 3 Rory McIlroy, the defending champion, headline the field of 78. Others in the top 10 who will compete include No. 5 Jon Rahm, No. 8 Justin Thomas, No. 9 Collin Morikawa and No. 10 Matt Fitzpatrick.
Familiar names ranked 11-20 who will compete include Viktor Hovland, Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im.
Aiken’s Kevin Kisner and Greenville native Lucas Glover make up the South Carolina contingent.
ODDS, PREDICTION
McIlroy (+750) is the betting favorite to win the CJ Cup, according to VegasInsider, followed by Rahm (+900), Justin Thomas (+1400), Scheffler (+1400), Im (+2200), Hovland (+2200), Spieth (+2500) and Matthew Fitzpatrick (+2500).
NOTING THE FIELD
Rickie Fowler, looking to end a prolonged slump, received a sponsor’s exemption and will compete after finishing tied for second in the Zozo Championship that ended Sunday in Japan. He had shared sixth in the season-opening Fortinet Championship. He finished third in the CJ Cup a year ago.
Keegan Bradley, who won Zozo title, and Andrew Putnam, who shared second with Fowler, will compete.
Sungjae Im and Tom Kite highlight the South Korean contingent. Im finished second to McIlroy in the FedEx Cup race, and Kim is the first player since Tiger Woods to win twice on the PGA Tour prior to his 21st birthday.
Nineteen of the 24 players who played in the Presidents Cup last month in Charlotte are in the CJ Cup field.
Although making his first PGA Tour start since winning the FedEx Cup, McIlroy has not been idle and comes to Congaree on a sizzling streak. He’s made three starts on the DP World Tour with finishes of T2, 4 and T4.
This is the second PGA Tour tourney of the year in South Carolina. The Tour made its annual stop on Hilton Head Island for the RBC Heritage in April. In 2021, the Palmetto State held three events — the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, the RBC Heritage and the Palmetto Championship at Congaree.
In the 2021 CJ Cup, played at the Summit Club in Las Vegas, McIlroy fired a final 6-under-par 66 to hold off Morikawa by one shot. Morikawa posted a final 10-under-par 62. McIlroy trailed by nine strokes after two rounds.
CJ CUP HISTORY, WINNERS
2017: Justin Thomas (-9)
2018: Brooks Koepka (-21)
2019: Justin Thomas (-20)
2020: Jason Kokrak (-20)
2021: Rory McIlroy (-25)
Thursday tee times for Round 1
8:15 AM Aaron Wise, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Yeongsu Kim
8:27 AM Brendan Steele, Emiliano Grillo, Sanghyun Park
8:39 AM Scott Stallings, Wyndham Clark, Yongjun Bae
8:51 AM Corey Conners, Danny Willett, Denny McCarthy
9:03 AM Andrew Putnam, Troy Merritt, Adam Hadwin
9:15 AM Trey Mullinax, Tom Hoge, Lucas Glover
9:27 AM Chez Reavie, Brendon Todd, Gary Woodland
9:39 AM Matt Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry, Jason Day
9:51 AM Sam Burns, Viktor Hovland, Si Woo Kim
10:08 AM Keegan Bradley, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm
10:20 AM Tom Kim, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler
10:32 AM Tommy Fleetwood, Byeong Hun An, Maverick McNealy
10:44 AM Mito Pereira, Taylor Moore, Justin Suh
10:56 AM John Huh, Lee Hodges, Chanmin Jung
11:08 AM Chris Kirk, Sahith Theegala, Sanghun Shin
11:20 AM Russell Henley, Alex Noren, Davis Riley
11:32 AM Ryan Palmer, Keith Mitchell, Brian Harman
11:44 AM J.J. Spaun, Harris English, Matt Kuchar
12:01 PM J.T. Poston, Luke List, Tyrrell Hatton
12:13 PM K.H. Lee, Seamus Power, Sebastián Muñoz
12:25 PM Sepp Straka, Cam Davis, Webb Simpson
12:37 PM Billy Horschel, Kevin Kisner, Collin Morikawa
12:49 PM Scottie Scheffler, Sungjae Im, Cameron Young
1:01 PM Max Homa, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama
1:13 PM Alex Smalley, S.H. Kim, Yoseop Seo
1:25 PM Kurt Kitayama, Taylor Montgomery, Bio Kim
Friday tee times for Round 2
8:15 AM John Huh, Lee Hodges, Chanmin Jung
8:27 AM Chris Kirk, Sahith Theegala, Sanghun Shin
8:39 AM Russell Henley, Alex Noren, Davis Riley
8:51 AM Ryan Palmer, Keith Mitchell, Brian Harman
9:03 AM J.J. Spaun, Harris English, Matt Kuchar
9:15 AM J.T. Poston, Luke List, Tyrrell Hatton
9:27 AM K.H. Lee, Seamus Power, Sebastián Muñoz
9:39 AM Sepp Straka, Cam Davis, Webb Simpson
9:51 AM Billy Horschel, Kevin Kisner, Collin Morikawa
10:08 AM Scottie Scheffler, Sungjae Im, Cameron Young
10:20 AM Max Homa, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama
10:32 AM Alex Smalley, S.H. Kim, Yoseop Seo
10:44 AM Kurt Kitayama, Taylor Montgomery, Bio Kim
10:56 AM Aaron Wise, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Yeongsu Kim
11:08 AM Brendan Steele, Emiliano Grillo, Sanghyun Park
11:20 AM Scott Stallings, Wyndham Clark, Yongjun Bae
11:32 AM Corey Conners, Danny Willett, Denny McCarthy
11:44 AM Andrew Putnam, Troy Merritt, Adam Hadwin
12:01 PM Trey Mullinax, Tom Hoge, Lucas Glover
12:13 PM Chez Reavie, Brendon Todd, Gary Woodland
12:25 PM Matt Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry, Jason Day
12:37 PM Sam Burns, Viktor Hovland, Si Woo Kim
12:49 PM Keegan Bradley, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm
1:01 PM Tom Kim, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler
1:13 PM Tommy Fleetwood, Byeong Hun An, Maverick McNealy
1:25 PM Mito Pereira, Taylor Moore, Justin Suh
