The 2021-22 PGA TOUR continues this week with a stop in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 2021 CJ Cup is scheduled to take place at the Summit Club beginning on Thursday, October 14 before concluding on Sunday, October 17.
It’s shaping up to be an exciting few days with all that talent that’ll be in Las Vegas for the CJ Cup. BetOnline has released odds for the tournament and there’s currently a three-way tie for best odds (+1400) between the following players: Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, and Xander Schauffele.
Continue reading for more of an analysis on each man’s shot at winning it big in Vegas this week.
2021 CJ Cup Odds
Odds via BetOnline as of Tuesday, October 12
- Justin Thomas (+1400)
- Dustin Johnson (+1400)
- Xander Schauffele (+1400)
- Collin Morikawa (+1600)
- Jordan Spieth (+2200)
- Rory McIlroy (+2200)
- Viktor Hovland (+2500)
- Sam Burns (+2800)
- Tony Finau (+2800)
- Sungjae Im (+2800)
- Louis Oosthuizen (+2800)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2800)
The complete odds list is available at BetOnline.ag.
Can Justin Thomas Win Again?
There may only be four previous editions of the CJ Cup, however, no one has had more success than Justin Thomas at the tournament. The 28-year-old has won the event a record two times, with those victories coming in 2017 and 2019. He competed in the two other interactions as well, placing 36th and 12th in 2018 and 2020, respectively.
The above is why it’s hard to doubt Thomas. Yes, this year’s CJ Cup is being played on a new course, however, the veteran won both of his events in different locations. Having to do it again is nothing new.
This week’s performance will also be Thomas’ first of the new season. He did well on the 2021 tour, placing inside of the Top 25 65% of the time. While he hasn’t won a tournament since March, Thomas did place fourth in the TOUR Championship at the beginning of September. With the momentum from the showing plus his previous CJ Cup history, it’s no wonder Thomas is tied for the top odds heading into Las Vegas.
Johnson Looking to Continue Hot Streak
Dustin Johnson had quite the up-and-down 2021 PGA TOUR. After starting off the year hot, there was about a three-month stretch where he didn’t look that great. Things began changing, though, and now Johnson has placed Top 10 in four of his last six outings. It’s his best stretch of golf in about a year, making him one of the more intriguing golfers to follow at the Summit Club this week.
Thursday will also mark Johnson’s CJ Cup debut. Although the veteran has competed in several tournaments around the world during his illustrious career, he’s never once teed off in this one. Still, momentum is on his side, especially after helping the United States take home this year’s Ryder Cup by going a perfect 5-0. If the old Johnson is back at 100%, the rest of the golf world better keep their eyes open.
Xander Schauffele CJ Cup Odds
Unlike Johnson, Xander Schauffele actually has competed at the CJ Cup in the past and he seems to be getting better with each performance. After placing 72nd and 48th in his first two appearances, Schauffele impress on-lookers last year by coming in second place to the eventual winner, Jason Kokrak (+5000). Sure, it may not be the big victory that Thomas had, however, it’s still impressive because it shows that Schauffele has what it takes to take things right down to the wire.
Schauffele’s key to winning this year will be to remain consistent. After shooting 66 and 64 in the first two rounds in 2020, he finished with an abysmal 74 in Round 3, which allowed the competition to creep back in. If Schauffele can get off to a strong start and maintain that across the four-day stretch, there’s a good chance that he could start his current season off on a high note.
