The PGA Tour stays in Las Vegas this week as it visits The Summit Club for the 2021 CJ Cup. Read on below to see my prediction for who will win the tournament, as well as my predictions for who will finish in the top 10, my dark horse, and my player to fade.
Winner: Dustin Johnson- Johnson has been one of the hottest players in the game the past few months, with 4 top 10 finishes in his last 6 starts, as well as going 5-0 at the Ryder Cup. Ranking 12th in Strokes Gained: Total last season, DJ is in the midst of an inspiring stretch of golf. Johnson also comes in with some extra incentive, having not won a PGA Tour event in 2021. With the exception of 2014, Johnson has won at least one Tour event each year since 2008 and is hoping to keep that streak intact. With the caliber of a player that Johnson is, I predict that the chips will fall his way and he will bring home a victory this week!
Top 10: Louis Oosthuizen- Oosthuizen had a season to remember on Tour this past go around, with 8 top 10’s in 21 starts, including 4 runner up finishes, two of which came at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open, as well as 2 additional top 5’s in 6 major starts during the wrap around season. Ranked 1st in Strokes Gained: Putting on Tour last season, Oosthuizen picked up where he left off and finished T-14 at the Shriners Children’s Open to start off the season. Louis O may finally pop off for a win this week, but if not, a top 10 is a safe bet for sure.
Dark Horse: Talor Gooch- Gooch has quietly put together a solid stretch of golf, finishing inside the top 35 in 7 of his last 12 starts to go along with just 1 missed cut during that stretch. Gooch has kicked off the season strong, finishing T-4 at the Fortinet Championship and T-11 at the Shriners Children’s Open. I predict that Gooch will hold his own this week in a field filled with studs and will be rewarded with a nice top 20 showing.
Player to Fade: Gary Woodland- Woodland has been a hit and miss player of late, with 5 missed cuts and 4 top 15 finishes in his last 12 starts. In a field this strong, you need to be on your A game and Woodland just doesn’t have his game firing on all cylinders right now. Woodland will finish in the bottom half of the field in this no cut event.