32 players from top-50 of FedExCup standings will feature in PGA TOUR’s first official event in South Korea, joining previously announced Thomas, Day, Casey, Scott and Kim
The inaugural CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, the first official PGA TOUR tournament in South Korea next month, has attracted 32 players from the top-50 of the current FedExCup standings including the men in form, Australia’s Marc Leishman and American Justin Thomas.
The historic USD9.25 million showpiece, which will be played from October 19-22 on the holiday isle of Jeju, will also feature 15 Presidents Cup team members including American Daniel Berger, Kevin Chappell and Thomas, India’s Anirban Lahiri, Australian duo Adam Scott and Jason Day and South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen.
A total of 10 Major winners will tee up at the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, spearheaded by four-time major champion Ernie Els of South Africa and Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell.
Leishman, 33, has risen to a career high of 15th place on the Official World Golf Ranking after securing a superb wire-to-wire five stroke victory at the BMW Championship at Conway Farms last weekend. Winning the penultimate event of the FedExCup playoffs earned Leishman his second title of the season and third of his PGA TOUR career.
The towering Australian enters this week’s season-ending TOUR Championship as the fourth-ranked golfer on the points standings where a win at East Lake in Atlanta will land him the FedExCup and USD10 million prize money. Leishman has posted 11 other top-15 finishes this year and will represent Team International at the Presidents Cup in New Jersey next week.
World No. 4 Thomas has been one of the season’s revelations with five tournament victories, including a first major title at the PGA Championship in August. The slender 24-year-old won the Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston two weeks ago.
CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES Executive Director Travis Steiner said: “Following the deadline for PGA TOUR players to commit to the tournament, we are delighted to highlight the quality and strength of what is truly an international field for our first official PGA TOUR tournament in South Korea.
“A total of 48 PGA TOUR winners have committed to the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES while 20 players heading to Jeju island are ranked in the top-50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. With a strong number of major champions heading to Jeju island as well, the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES is poised for a truly historic week of world-class golf.”
South Korean golf legend K.J. Choi, who holds eight PGA TOUR victories, this season’s THE PLAYERS Championship winner Si Woo Kim, rising star Byeong Hun An and Sangmoon Bae, who recently concluded a two-year military service stint, will carry the local challenge.
The tournament, themed “Bridge to Realization”, hopes to inspire South Korean golfers to achieve their dreams of winning a PGA TOUR tournament on home soil.
As the first official PGA TOUR event held in South Korea, the event will offer one of the largest prize purses in world golf. The event will provide Jeju Special Self-Governing Province an opportunity to promote the beauty of Jeju island to the world through the TOUR’s television broadcasts which has a potential reach of one billion homes across 226 countries.
CJ Corporation signed a 10-year agreement with the PGA TOUR last year to stage the tournament. SBS, the PGA TOUR’s partner in Korea for over 10 years, will be the host broadcaster of the event. Tickets for the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES can now be purchased on http://en.thecjcup.com/tickets.asp
Player Quotes
Marc Leishman (AUS)
“It’s terrific that we’ll have an official PGA TOUR event in South Korea with the launch of the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. I played in the Presidents Cup in South Korea two years ago which was a great experience. It was really fun playing in front of the Korean fans who appreciate their golf. I certainly hope to head over to Jeju island with my best form and contend for the title.”
Justin Thomas (USA)
“I’m really excited. Anytime you get the opportunity to go to a place where you’ve never been before, playing against a tremendous field, it’s a great opportunity to get off to a good start in the FedExCup. To go to South Korea for the first time and to play in a place at Jeju island which I’ve heard is an unbelievable place, it’ll be a great experience. It’s one of the coolest part of being a golfer as you’ll never go to new places if you didn’t play golf.”
Jason Day (Aus)
“It will be fun to have the opportunity to visit Jeju island and compete in the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. I have always enjoyed travelling around the world to play in front of different golf fans and enjoying what the local culture has to offer which is one of the perks of being a professional golfer. I have heard Jeju island is a breath-taking tourist destination and I intend to make time to enjoy what the place has to offer. Ultimately, my goal will be head over to South Korea and try to win the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES.”
Graeme McDowell (NIR)
“I’m very excited to be a part of the PGA TOUR’s inaugural CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES on Jeju Island. It’s always great to compete in Asia and one of golf’s most exciting and emerging markets. Jeju Island has been kind to me in the past with my win at the 2008 Ballantine’s Championship and I look forward to returning.”
Ian Poulter (ENG)
“Anytime we have the opportunity to play in a new tournament on the PGA TOUR especially when it’s at a new destination, I’m very excited. It’s great to see the game growing in the Far East with the launch of the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES and I’m looking forward to visiting Jeju island and competing against what is looking to be a very strong field.”
Charl Schwartzel (RSA)
I’m looking forward to playing in the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. Being one of the tournaments in the early 2017-18 PGA TOUR schedule, it’ll be a great opportunity to get off to a solid start and winning the tournament would be a nice way to begin my new season. I’ve also heard a lot of good things about Jeju island so I’m hoping to experience the local culture and attractions during the week.
Ernie Els (RSA)
Throughout my career, I have traveled and competed in tournaments around the globe and I look forward to being in Jeju island for the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. As an Ambassador to the Asian TOUR, I’ve been to Korea a few times previously and it will be fun to be involved with a new tournament on the PGA TOUR schedule. Asia has been good to me and I hope to play my best golf and feature prominently on the leaderboard during the week. I’m always keen to fight it out with the best golfers in the world.
