Seoul may be some 11,000 kilometres away from Dallas but this week’s The CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch will feel very much like a home game for the likes of K.H. Lee, Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim, who are fired up to deliver a first PGA Tour victory of the season for Korean golf.
A total of seven Korean players will tee up in the US$9.5 million PGA Tour showpiece which sees Korean conglomerate, CJ Group, evolving as title sponsor of one of America’s legacy tournaments in honour of the legendary Byron Nelson, a 52-time winner.
Previously, CJ Group launched and staged Korea’s first official FedExCup tournament in Jeju island in 2017 but the onset of Covid-19 led to the tournament’s move to U.S. soil from 2020-22, before the decision to partner with The Byron Nelson tournament through a 10-year commitment.
For Lee, a return to TPC Craig Ranch for The CJ Cup Byron Nelson provides a double dose of confidence as he won the tournament back-to-back in 2021-22 and CJ is also one of his personal sponsors. Also, the players’ lounge this week is rated amongst the best on Tour when it comes to F&B through CJ’s Bibigo culinary offerings, which Lee and company are feeling right at home.
“I feel very good. I always have good memories of this course, so it makes me feel comfortable and confident. I’m excited and grateful that The CJ Cup (Byron Nelson) is being held at the course where I’ve performed well. It makes me want to do better,” said Lee in a press conference on Wednesday.
A victory on the Korean PGA Tour last weekend is spurring Sungjae Im to chase for a third PGA Tour career title, and a first since October 2021. He began the season strongly with a top-5 at The Sentry in Hawaii but has not added another top-10 since, which last week’s home win could not have been better timed. Aside from Lee, the CJ Cup Byron Nelson has also celebrated Korean winners in Sangmoon Bae (2013) and Sung Kang (2019).
Si Woo Kim of South Korea. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images for The CJ Cup)
“There were a lot of Korean fans who came all four days (last week). There were moments when I was jetlagged and tired, but the fans supported me until the end, so I was able to concentrate and win the title,” said Im, who is also sponsored by CJ Group. “It’s great to participate in a tournament by our main sponsor, CJ. I think the key is to create many chances. The fairways are wide and when I hit my second shot, I’ll have to look at the pin positions and be aggressive and make a lot of birdies,” added Im, who is currently ranked 45th on the FedExCup points list.
Following a runner-up finish to Australia’s Jason Day in last year’s tournament, Si Woo Kim will be looking to go one step better in hopes of landing a fifth career PGA Tour victory. The 28-year-old has been in solid form all season where he has not missed a cut in 11 starts, with one top-10 and six top-25s.
“I’m in good shape because I took last week off. I’m happy to be able to play in The CJ Cup (Byron Nelson). I haven’t always played well on this golf course, but it’s nice to finish on a good note with a runner-up finish last year. This year, I will try to build on last year’s performance,” said Kim.
After failing to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time in five seasons, Lee feels his game is trending upwards again, with two top-10s to show for so far this year. With a second baby daughter arriving recently, the 32-year-old is confident for better days ahead where he hopes to join Sam Snead as a three-time winner of the tournament this week.
“I think little struggle last year, but I think getting better every week this year, so hopefully this week tee to green and putting, everything good and matchup,” Lee said. “So hopefully good week for me. When I’m here, putting is always good, and then I tee off, tee box, every hole is comfortable for me.”
The other Korean stars vying for a “home” victory at TPC Craig Ranch include Byeong Hun An, who is also sponsored by CJ and currently the highest ranked Korean at ninth place on the FedExCup points list, World No. 23 Tom Kim, S.H. Kim, and Sung Kang. English 16-year-old amateur Kris Kim, whose mother is former LPGA Tour star Ji-Hyun Suh, will also make his PGA Tour debut as a sponsor’s exemption. Kim, who is also sponsored by CJ, won the Boys’ Amateur Championship, the European Boys’ Individual Championship and McGregor Trophy last year, in addition to playing for Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup where he was undefeated while delivering 3.5 points in the team’s victory over the U.S.
