Divots and Dumplings: CJ Cup Byron Nelson Rides K-Food Wave
Korean food goliath CJ has begun its ten-year title sponsorship of the Byron Nelson after taking the reins from AT&T. The first round of the tournament, named after the straight shooting gentleman-golfer whose consistent swing inspired TruTemper’s golf swing robot, tees off at TPC Craig Ranch in the Dallas suburb of McKinney.
The Seoul headquartered conglomerate, which also counts biotech, entertainment logistics and retail holdings under its umbrella, is already very familiar with golf fans. Their banner has flown behind a PGA Tour tournament since 2017, attracting attention in broadcasts through hat sponsorship deals with Sungjae Im, Si Woo Kim, K.H. Lee and Benny An, among others.
Early iterations of the tournament teed off on the serene fairways of JeJu Island’s Nine Bridges at the foot of Mount Halla. Travel concerns prompted the tournament to relocate stateside when the pandemic struck. It was played in Nevada for a couple seasons, initially at Shadow Creek and then Summit Club, before making a coastal hop to South Carolina’s Congaree Golf Club.
