Leaving Las Vegas: CJ Cup moves on

The PGA Tour’s CJ Cup is on the move once again, this time all the way across the country.

Held in Las Vegas the past two years on the week following the Shriners Children’s Open, organizers announced Wednesday that the 2022 tournament will be played at Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina, the week of October 17-23.

Played its first three years in South Korea, tournament officials relocated the event to the United States in 2020 due to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 version was played at Shadow Creek, and the 2021 event at the Summit Club.

With the pandemic less of a challenge, officials had expected the tournament to return to South Korea, the home of its title sponsor. Instead, PGA Tour officials say they are thrilled to move the tournament to South Carolina.

“This event has provided a great platform on which to showcase golf’s top Korean players, and we are confident that Congaree will once again serve as a fantastic venue for hosting one of the tour’s premier tournaments,” said Christian Hardy, a senior vice president with the tour.

Congaree will be familiar to some PGA Tour players as it hosted last year’s Palmetto Championship, a one-off tournament added to the 2021 schedule as a replacement for the Canadian Open, which was not held because of the pandemic. Former UNLV player Garrick Higgo won that event.

Holding the tournament in Las Vegas the past two years was considered convenient logistically for the tour and broadcasters, who were able to remain in the same location on consecutive weeks. That won’t be the case in 2022.

Following the Shriners Children’s Open the first week of October, the tour heads to Japan for the Zozo Championship the following week, then halfway around the world to South Carolina the next week for the CJ Cup. It will be followed by the Bermuda Championship on the schedule.

“Over the last five years, our tournament has established itself on the PGA Tour through the caliber of champions who have emerged, and we are also proud the tournament has been well received by players,” said Wookho Kyeong, chief marketing officer of CJ Group. “We look forward to engaging with our fans in a new region and celebrating another fantastic week of golf.”

The 2020 event was won by Jason Kokrak at Shadow Creek, while Rory McIlory won the 2021 version at the Summit Club. Despite the win, McIlory said players would be happy to return the course to its members as the layout was too benign for tournament play.

Greg Robertson covers golf for the Review-Journal. He can be reached at grobertson@reviewjournal.com.