[Knowrae's Field Story] Korean Men's Golf and CJ Group

Korean Male Golfers Bring New Energy to PGA Tour Stage
CJ Group Actively Develops Male Prospects Driving Korean Golf Prestige
Highlights of The CJ Cup, Creating New History by Hosting a Top-Tier Tournament

It is the golden age of Korean men's golf.

They are making impressive strides on the top stage, the U.S. Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Tour. In the past, victories by players like K.J. Choi (52), Yang Yong-eun (50), and Bae Sang-moon (36) were rare and sporadic, but now there are many players with top-tier skills in both quantity and quality.

Lee Kyung-hoon, Kim Joo-hyung, Kim Si-woo, and Im Sung-jae (from left) are smiling brightly as they represented the International Team at the Presidents Cup last month. All four players are sponsored by the CJ Group.

Leading Korean men’s golf are players such as Kim Joo-hyung (20), the youngest two-time PGA winner, Im Sung-jae (24), Kim Si-woo (27), winner of the "fifth major" The Players Championship, Lee Kyoung-hoon (31), who won the AT&T Byron Nelson twice in a row, Kang Sung-hoon (35), and An Byeong-hun (31). Last month, in the Presidents Cup, a golf competition between the U.S. team and the International team, a record four Korean players?Kim Joo-hyung, Im Sung-jae, Kim Si-woo, and Lee Kyoung-hoon?participated. All are sponsored by the CJ Group.

Korean men's golf had long been in the shadows. It stood in stark contrast to the Taegeuk ladies who dominate the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. Male players struggled to find sponsors, while female players received media spotlight and abundant sponsorships. However, the tide has turned. Now, male players are considered strong contenders for victory in every tournament.

The hidden driving force behind the rise of Korean men’s golf as a new powerhouse is the CJ Group. Most of the players currently dominating the PGA Tour belong to CJ Logistics. The CJ Group has actively invested in young players showing talent, creating an environment where promising players can focus solely on their sport. The steady investment by CJ Group is now bearing fruit.

The CJ Group has a special passion for golf. Starting golf marketing by recruiting LPGA Tour prospect Lee Sun-hwa (36) in 2001, they have elevated the status of "Golf Korea" through mammoth player sponsorships like Park Se-ri’s (45) "100 billion won jackpot," hosting men’s and women’s professional golf tournaments, and constructing world-class golf courses such as Nine Bridges.

Park Se-ri, who rose to national hero status with her "barefoot fighting spirit" at the 1998 U.S. Women’s Open, joined the CJ Group in 2003. During her five-year contract, she won six tournaments, including three victories in her first year. CJ Group was the driving force behind Park Se-ri’s total of 25 career wins, including five majors.

The CJ Group has especially focused on supporting men’s golf, which has been underfunded. Kim Si-woo joined CJ in 2013, An Byeong-hun in 2015, and Im Sung-jae in 2018. In 2020, they completed the CJ team by recruiting 18-year-old Kim Joo-hyung. Other young Korean professional golf (KPGA) Korean Tour members attracting CJ’s attention include Kim Min-kyu (21), Lee Jae-kyung (23), Bae Yong-jun (22), Jung Chan-min (23), and Choi Seung-bin (21).

Above all, the highlight is CJ Group’s creation of the PGA Tour’s The CJ Cup in 2017. The inaugural tournament, with a total prize fund of $9.25 million, marked a new chapter in Korean golf history. Their bold strategy of offering a groundbreaking prize fund attracted world stars to participate. This year’s tournament, which concluded on the 24th, increased the total prize money to $10.5 million. Through this ultra-premium event, CJ Group has further elevated the status of Korean men’s golf.

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