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PGA Tour makes inroads into Asia

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EDISON, NJ - AUGUST 25: PGA TOUR Deputy Commissioner Jay Monahan speaks at a military appreciation event during practice for The Barclays at Plainfield Country Club on August 25, 2015 in Edison, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Condon/PGA TOUR)
  • Post published:October 25, 2016

The PGA Tour announced this week that it will add a new Asian tournament to the roster – the $9,25-million CJ Cup, to be played in October 2017.

The 78-player tournament’s price tag is more than any event outside the majors, the WGCs and The Players Championship, marking a huge investment between Asia and the PGA Tour.

There will be a full leg of tournaments in the east, with the CJ Cup slipping in amongst the CIMB Classic and WGC-HSBC Champions next year.

The tournament will be played in South Korea, which has a huge golf following.

‘This tournament will be on the Korean sports landscape for years to come,’ said Jay Monahan, who is due to become the next PGA Tour Commissioner. ‘We have a tremendous population of Korean golfers on the PGA Tour, and we anticipate that will continue as the CJ Cup inspires a new generation of players, not only in Korea, but also around the world.’

The announcement made it clear that the PGA Tour is capable of drawing big sponsors for its top-tier golfers, who now have the choice to play in 25 events a season or tee up in a tournament they haven’t played in for four years in the following season.

‘If this is your only tour, it’s a fair rule,’ said Englishman Paul Casey, who contends on the PGA Tour. ‘If you’re playing two tours, then it’s tough.’