Korea’s 1st PGA Tour to Happen Next Year!
As announced last Monday, Korea's 1st PGA Tour will happen next year. This is following the news about CJ Group striking a 10-year deal to sponsor PGA Tour starting next year.
At the agreement ceremony held in Seoul, CJ Group, along with the PGA Tour officials, officially announced their agreement with the Korean Conglomerate to host the CJ Cup@Nine Bridges for the next ten years. Korea's 1st PGA Tour is said to start off with the 2017-2018 PGA Tour season.
Although this is the first time that Korea will host a PGA Tour event, the country had already hosted international golf events in the past like the President Cup last year. But again this is Korea's 1st PGA Tour ever, making Korean golf fans truly delighted.
A total purse of $9.25 million is promised for the first season which will be officially launched on October 19 to 22 next year. The location for the said event is, however, to be decided yet by CJ Group, along with PGA Tour. Jeju Island and the Haesley Nine Bridges Golf Club in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province are among their top choices for Korea's 1st PGA Tour.
Korea's 1st PGA Tour will not only extend the reach of PGA tours, as stated by PGA Tour Deputy Commissioner Jay Monahan who was present on the agreement ceremony. This will also give Korea an important role in the global sporting scene. Also, the event will not only open up opportunities for talented Korean golfers. It was also expected to help boost the country's local economy.
During Korea's 1st PGA Tour, 78 players are expected to join the CJ Cup@Nine Bridges. Twelve of these players, who are already included in PGA Tour's international roster for this year, are from South Korea. The winner of the event will be awarded a 500 winning FedEx Cup points, along with a two-year exemption from the PGA Tour.
