"It's our family celebration..." The five members of TEAM CJ will gather together at the CJ CUP Byron Nelson. There is also a desire to bring home the trophy in Hangul.
From May 1st to 4th, the CJ CUP Byron Nelson (officially THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson), held at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, will feature players from TEAM CJ participating with extraordinary determination.
The CJ CUP is a full-field tournament with a total of 156 PGA Tour players participating. The winner will receive 500 FedEx Cup points, a two-year PGA Tour exemption, and the opportunity to participate in signature tournaments that year. In particular, the winner's trophy is a Hangul trophy inspired by the "Jikji Simche Yojeol," symbolizing the legacy of the CJ CUP.
Im Sung-jae is expected to compete for the championship based on his outstanding performance. Recently finishing in a tie for fifth at the Masters Tournament, Im Sung-jae continues to build momentum. He noted, "I feel my condition improving as I play more this year. The good performance at the Masters has boosted my confidence," adding, "I will respond to the support of fans with more confident play at the upcoming CJ CUP."
An Byeong-hun and Kim Si-woo aim to bounce back from last year's disappointments. An Byeong-hun recorded the best finish among TEAM CJ players last year with a tied 4th, and he seeks his first PGA Tour win in this tournament. He stressed, "I played well last year but it was disappointing at the finish. This year, I will focus deeply and do my best to achieve victory, utilizing last year's experience."
Kim Si-woo also expressed, "Last season, I was quite disappointed with the results at the CJ CUP considering my performance," adding, "I have been training consistently for better results. The CJ CUP is an important stage for me, and I definitely want to achieve a good outcome."
The youngest member of TEAM CJ, Choi Seung-bin, and Chris Kim will show vigor and passion through friendly competition with their seniors. Participating in the CJ CUP for the first time, Choi Seung-bin stated, "I am honored to compete for the first time as a member of TEAM CJ" and added, "I will deliver an impressive performance on the PGA Tour stage to lay the foundation for becoming a global No. 1." Chris Kim, who made headlines last year by becoming the youngest player to make the cut at the CJ CUP, remarked, "I want to learn by watching the play of my seniors in TEAM CJ up close. I will give my best to show a good performance every moment."
Lee Kyung-hoon, who won in 2021 and 2022 and became the first Korean to successfully defend a PGA Tour title, will not participate in this year's CJ CUP due to a back injury.
CJ Group sponsors a total of nine male players: four from the PGA Tour (Lee Kyung-hoon, Kim Si-woo, Im Sung-jae, An Byeong-hun), four from the KPGA (Bae Yong-jun, Jeong Chan-min, Choi Seung-bin, Song Min-hyuk), and one amateur (Chris Kim).
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