'War of the Stars'... Key Points to Watch at the PGA Tour The CJ Cup

Kim Juhyung and Im Sungjae Sponsor Tournament 'First Victory Challenge'
FedEx Cup Champion McIlroy Aims for 2nd Consecutive Win
'Number 1' Scheffler, 'Two-Time Champion' Thomas All Set to Compete

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] A 'war of the stars' is about to unfold.

On the 20th (local time), the PGA Tour The CJ Cup (total prize money $10.5 million) will kick off at Congaree Golf Club (par 71, 7,655 yards) in Ridgeland, South Carolina, USA. It is the fifth event of the 2022-2023 season. Six of the top 10 and 15 of the top 20 players in the world rankings will participate.

Established in 2017, The CJ Cup is holding its 6th edition this year. Until 2019, it was held in Korea, but due to COVID-19, the venue was moved to the United States starting in 2020.

Kim Joo-hyung challenges to become the first Korean player to win the CJ Cup.

Will a Korean player achieve the first victory?

The CJ Cup is sponsored by a Korean company. However, the performance of domestic players has been modest.

In 2017, Kim Min-hwi (30) achieved the best result with 4th place. In 2019, An Byeong-hun (31) tied for 6th, and last year, Im Sung-jae (24) entered the top 10 with a tie for 9th place.

This year, there is an atmosphere of high expectations for Korean players' performances. Names such as Kim Joo-hyung (20), who became the youngest player to win twice on the PGA Tour, along with Im Sung-jae, Kim Si-woo (27), Lee Kyung-hoon (31), and An Byeong-hun are listed.

The players receiving the most attention are undoubtedly Kim Joo-hyung and Im Sung-jae. Both are sponsored by CJ, providing strong motivation. Their recent form is also good.

Kim Joo-hyung won the Shriners Children's Open earlier this month. It was his second win within two months after his first career victory at the Wyndham Championship in August. At 20 years and 3 months old, Kim Joo-hyung reached two PGA Tour wins faster than Tiger Woods, who won his second at 20 years and 9 months. Although he stumbled briefly at last week's Zozo Championship, he still recorded the best finish among Korean players with a tie for 35th place. Kim Joo-hyung's determination is to "play while enjoying and letting go of the pressure."

FedEx Cup runner-up Im Sung-jae is also aiming for a victory. Im has participated in this tournament for five consecutive years.

'PGA rookie' Kim Seong-hyun (24) secured a spot as one of the top three Korean players in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). Other Korean players stepping onto the U.S. stage include Seo Yo-seop (26), the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour 'Order of Merit' leader, Kim Bi-o (32), Shin Sang-hoon (24), Kim Young-soo (33), and Bae Yong-jun (22).

Rory McIlroy is smiling while holding the trophy right after winning last year's The CJ Cup.

Defending champion McIlroy aims for back-to-back wins

Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) will defend his title. He has fond memories of winning this tournament last year, marking his 20th PGA Tour victory. Since then, McIlroy has won the RBC Canadian Open and the season finale Tour Championship. Starting the final day two strokes behind in second place, he surged with a 6-under-par round to complete a come-from-behind victory. At the time, he said, "I feel very proud to have reached 20 wins," giving it special significance.

McIlroy is a leading player representing the PGA Tour against LIV Golf. With his Tour Championship win in August, he became the first three-time FedEx Cup champion in history, having won in 2016 and 2019 as well, earning a $18 million (2.55 billion KRW) bonus.

After the tournament, he traveled to Europe to compete on the DP World Tour. He has maintained good form by finishing tied for 2nd at the BMW PGA Championship in September, 4th at the Italian Open, and tied for 4th at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October, all top 5 finishes in three events.

Scottie Scheffler showcases the might of being 'Number 1' at The CJ Cup.

World No.1 Scheffler and other top players gather

The lineup of players in this tournament is also spectacular. World No.1 Scottie Scheffler (USA) will participate. He rose to the top by winning four times last season, including the Masters. Scheffler entered the Tour Championship as the FedEx Cup No.1 but tasted defeat to McIlroy. After playing in the Presidents Cup last month, he chose The CJ Cup as his first event of the season.

Attention is also on whether Justin Thomas (USA) can secure his third win at this tournament. He is the only player to have won The CJ Cup twice, in 2017 and 2019. Thomas has been a regular participant since the tournament's inception in 2017 without missing a year. Last year's runner-up Collin Morikawa (USA) is also a strong contender. Among his five PGA Tour wins, three came from majors and World Golf Championships (WGC), making him a formidable player in big matches. Additionally, notable players such as Jon Rahm (Spain), Matthew Fitzpatrick (England), and Jordan Spieth (USA) will also compete in this tournament.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.