Asian Tour’s Newest Tournament Gets Title Sponsor

CJ Group, viagra 40mg Korea’s food-to-entertainment conglomerate, cough has announced title sponsorship of the Asian Tour’s newest tournament to be hosted by Korean star K.J. Choi in October.

The CJ Invitational will be staged at the Nine Bridges Haseley Golf Club from October 20-23, doctor 2011, offering a total prize fund of US$750,000 in the tournament sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Korean Golf Tour.

CJ Group Vice President Shin Byung-chul held a signing ceremony with Choi, who is an Asian Tour honorary member, earlier this week at Providence, Rhode Island. The agreement is for a three-year tenure.

“This tournament will be meaningful as CJ Group’s core value within our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme falls in line with K.J. Choi’s focus on charity as well,” said Shin.

“We will put in every ounce of our energy to keep this tournament as one of world’s best golf tournaments and it will not be just another golf tournament. We are planning to make this a tournament which gives hope and dreams to alienated children and teenagers within the CJ Donor’s Camp.”

The CJ Invitational hosted by K.J. Choi will feature 55 players each from the Asian Tour and Korean Golf Tour plus 10 sponsor’s invitations, making it a 120-man field.

Choi, winner of the Players Championship – dubbed the unofficial fifth Major – on the PGA Tour earlier this year, is the first Asian to host his own tournament, following in the footsteps of golf legends Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods who also host their own golf tournaments.

The support from CJ Group is an extension of its sponsorship programme where, in the past, also sponsored the likes of Se Ri Park, Gloria Park, Sun-hwa Lee and other Korean LPGA players. It also hosted the first LPGA Tour event in Korea, the CJ Nine Bridges Classic for four years from 2002 to 2005.

Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han lauded CJ Group’s involvement, “We are proud and honoured that CJ Group has signed a three-year agreement to title sponsor the CJ Invitational hosted by K.J. Choi.  Their long-term commitment to this new tournament underlines the strong appeal that the Asian Tour has in Korea and across Asia. This tournament will be one of four new events to feature on our 2011 Schedule and we are confident of maintaining a sustainable growth pattern in the years to come”.