From K-pop to Korean barbecue to Korean cosmetics, the proliferation of Korean culture in the United States over the past several years is evident. This week, Korean global lifestyle conglomerate CJ Group hopes to capitalize on that popularity at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
“We are very passionate about inspiring the people through culture, whether it’s food, entertainment or logistics,” said Ethan Kim, the head of sports marketing at CJ Group. “We also want to communicate with people through sport so that’s why we are sponsoring the PGA Tour event.”
Twenty-five years after K.J. Choi became the first Korean to earn his PGA Tour card, CJ Group is in its second year as title sponsor of the Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch near Dallas in a deal with the PGA Tour through 2033. This year, CJ Group’s big activation will be the House of CJ off the 18th fairway. House of CJ is an all-in-one fan experience of Korean culture, with K-pop, food and cocktails, cosmetics and more.
Kim says there were many reasons CJ Group was initially attracted to golf, including what the game stands for.
“I just want everybody on site to enjoy all kinds of food and content provided by CJ,” Kim said. “We want CJ to be a part of everyone’s daily lives. ”Golf has become wildly popular in South Korea over the last 30 years, and many attribute the spark to Se-ri Pak, who burst onto the LPGA scene in the late 1990s and eventually won five majors. Kim says Pak and other successful Korean golfers not only popularized the game in their home country, but provided CJ Group with an opportunity.
“About 20 years ago when we sponsored Se-ri Pak and other female golfers we thought that it was a great idea to expose our brand globally,” Kim said.
Kim says there were many reasons CJ Group was initially attracted to golf, including what the game stands for.
“Golf reflects precision, passion and integrity,” he said. “That is perfectly aligned with CJ’s philosophy.”
CJ Group began its relationship with the PGA Tour in 2017, sponsoring and hosting the CJ Cup at the Nine Bridges Golf Club on Jeju Island, South Korea. Brian Oliver, the PGA Tour’s EVP of corporate partnerships, says the partnership with CJ Group has been fruitful.
“They are a wonderful partner and it comes from a love of this game of golf,” Oliver said. “It’s a really special relationship.”
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the tournament to relocate to the United States due to travel restrictions. While Kim says it was disappointing to take the tournament away from South Korea, playing it in Las Vegas for two years gave CJ Group an opportunity to grow.
In 2022, Rory McIlroy won the final CJ Cup at Congaree Golf Club near Hilton Head Island, his second consecutive victory in the event. After six years of the CJ Cup, the PGA Tour and CJ Group explored ways to continue their relationship.
“Our business was evolving and their business was evolving,” Oliver said. “We talked about a lot of different ways in which we could partner and we started focusing on the Byron Nelson.”
“Dallas is one of the fastest-growing cities in the states. The golf tournament is a unique vehicle to communicate with the customers and also our partners. That’s why this location is very important.” – Ethan Kim
Kim says the Byron Nelson is attractive for many reasons. One is the connection to its legendary namesake. Another is location. The Dallas-Fort Worth area is home to more than 20 Fortune 500 companies, with several more in other parts of Texas. For CJ Group, it’s a great business opportunity.
“Dallas is one of the fastest-growing cities in the states,” Kim said. “The golf tournament is a unique vehicle to communicate with the customers and also our partners. That’s why this location is very important.”
Kim says he is ultimately happy with how CJ Group’s first year as the title sponsor went in 2024. The company received exposure to more than 160,000 spectators, and Kim believes they can do better this year.
“Last year was the learning process,” Kim said. “We wanted to promote our brand and products last year but some of the food was not successful because it’s very hot in Texas and we wanted to sell fried dumplings.”
Kim expects the House of CJ to attract all sorts of people who want to experience Korean culture and CJ Group’s affiliated companies. CJ Group previously deployed the House of CJ at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
“It was very successful,” Kim said. “Many foreigners came and experienced Korean culture. We thought it would be a great idea to do the same during tournament week.”
Oliver says he’s looking forward to checking out the House of CJ.
“The fan experience will be amazing,” Oliver said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how they do it in a really cool way from K-pop experiences, to big screens, to great Bibigo food.”
In addition to growing the Byron Nelson over the next several years and establishing a good relationship with the Dallas community, Kim says CJ Group has other goals in golf.
“In the near future we want to host a world-class golf event in Korea,” Kim said.
Since the original CJ Cup left Jeju Island, there hasn’t been a PGA Tour event in South Korea. Kim wants that to change, and Oliver says change is certainly possible because the market checks all the boxes.
“We would absolutely love to be back in Korea in some form,” he said. “It’s such a hotbed of golf.”