CJ Cup extends stay in the United States for one more year

CJ and the PGA Tour announced Wednesday that this year's CJ Cup will take place at Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina from Oct. 20 to 23, extending the tournament's exodus from Korea for another year.

Rory McIlroy tees off on the 18th hole of THE CJ CUP @ SUMMIT at The Summit Club in Las Vegas on Oct.17, 2021. [CJ]

The 15th, 16th and 17th hole of the Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina. [CONGAREE GOLF CLUB]

CJ and the PGA Tour announced Wednesday that this year's CJ Cup will take place at Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina from Oct. 20 to 23, extending the tournament's exodus from Korea for another year.

This is the third year that the CJ Cup has failed to return to the Nine Bridges course on Korea's Jeju Island, the original home of the tournament.

As Korea's lone PGA tournament, the first three editions of the CJ Cup were held at Nine Bridges in Jeju. For the last two years, as the Covid-19 pandemic made international travel difficult, the tournament has been held in Nevada to allow it to go ahead as planned without the need for golfers to quarantine.

The tournament is on the move again this year, but rather than heading back home, the CJ Cup is instead moving to the Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina.

Even though quarantine guidelines for Covid-19 in Korea have eased, CJ made the decision to hold the event in the United States for one more year to better accommodate golfers while travel uncertainty remains a concern.

With the potential of Covid-19 mutations causing a spike in cases or other unexpected changes in quarantine guidelines, staying another year in the United States will make it easier for the golfers to compete, CJ said in a press release.

Congaree Golf Club was ranked No. 39 in as one of the Top 100 Golf Courses after hosting the 2021 Palmetto Championship on the PGA Tour last year.

The designer for the Congaree Golf Club is architect Tom Fazio, who coincidentally also designed Shadow Creek and Summit Club, where The CJ Cup was held in 2020 and 2021.

No Korean has won the CJ Cup since the inaugural event in 2017.

Justin Thomas of the United States won the 2017 edition after a playoff against Marc Leishman of Australia. Brooks Koeoka won in 2018, four strokes ahead of countryman Gary Woodland, while in 2019, Thomas won again, two strokes ahead of Danny Lee of Australia.

At Shadow Creek in 2020, Jason Kokrak of the United States won two strokes ahead of countryman Xander Schauffele.

The defending champion is Rory McIlroy of Ireland, who last year won one stroke ahead of Collin Morikawa of the United States at The Summit Club.

Last year, Im Sung-jae finished tied for ninth, carding 20-under-par, five strokes behind the winner.

An Byeong-hun, left and Jason Day of Australia participate in the Korean cuisine experience event at the THE CJ CUP @ SUMMIT at The Summit Club, Las Vegas on Oct. 12, 2021. [CJ]

The CJ Cup is not just known for its competitive field, but also for the opportunities it grants golfers to get their hands on some Korean cuisine. As the official sponsor for the tournament, CJ traditionally arranges for golfers to taste its Bibigo brand of dumplings and spicy gochujang sauces during the practice round.

The CJ Cup will run from Oct. 20 to 23.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]