Rory McIlroy will defend CJ CUP title in Ridgeland

JASPER COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - Rory McIlroy will be hitting the links in the Lowcountry.

The defending CJ CUP champion will defend his title in October at the Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, S.C.

“So far, the commitments are really coming very nicely and we’re looking forward to having the best golfers in the world playing here. I’ll take the opportunity to say four-time major winner and FexEx Cup Champion for 2022 will be here,” CJ CUP Tournament Director Andre Silva said.

The tournament was launched as Korea’s first official PGA Tour tournament in 2017. It was relocated to the United States due to the challenges of COVID-19.

This will be the first time the CJ CUP will be played in the Southeast region of the U.S. following the staging of the tournament in Las Vegas, first at Shadow Creek Golf Course in 2020 and The Summit Club in 2021.

The field will be capped at 78 players so there won’t be a cut. The top 60 players in the FedEx standings will be invited to play.

Congaree Ambassador and TOUR Member JT Poston said it is a tough course, and should play differently than last summer given the time of year, but he says other players are excited to come to Ridgeland.

“It’ll present a challenge that most guys are not used to dealing with early on in the week trying to get ready for a tournament,” Poston said.

The tournament will be played the week of October 17-23.

After the success of the Palmetto Championship last summer, officials say that PGA TOUR players are excited to return to Jasper County for the CJ CUP next month. The golf club hosted the Palmetto Championship which replaced the RBC Canadian that year due to COVID.

South Carolina Director of Parks, Recreation and Tourism says that COVID has actually caused the financial impact of golf to grow. In the Palmetto State last year, the sport had a $3.3 billion economic impact.

This will be the third professional event in the state this year, including a Korn Ferry Tour event in the upstate and the RBC Heritage on Hilton Head Island.

To purchase tickets or parking passes, or to register for volunteer opportunities at THE CJ CUP in South Carolina, please visit CJCUPSouthCarolina.com.