Criteria announced for CJ Cup's 78-man field

Im Sung-jae reacts on the 18th hole during the final round of the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club on Sunday in Atlanta, Georgia. [AFP/YONHAP]

The criteria to determine the 78-man field for the CJ Cup was announced Tuesday.

This year's CJ Cup will take place at Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina, from Oct. 20 to 23, extending the tournament's exodus from Korea for another year.

The CJ Cup is Korea's lone PGA tournament, and the first three editions of the event were held at Nine Bridges in Jeju. But for the last two years, as the Covid-19 pandemic made international travel difficult, the tournament has been held in Nevada to allow it to go ahead as planned without the need for golfers to quarantine.

The top 60 golfers in the FedEx Cup points standings from the 2021-22 season will be the first to qualify for the CJ Cup.

No. 2 Im Sung-jae, No. 27 Lee Kyoung-hoon, No. 35 Kim Joo-hyung and No. 58 Kim Si-woo will all join as the top 60 golfers in the standings.

Five KPGA golfers — the 2022 KPGA Championship winner, 2022 Genesis Championship winner and the top three players on the KPGA Tour Player of the Year points standings — will also qualify for the CJ Cup.

Shin Sang-hun won the KPGA Championship in June, becoming the first KPGA golfer to secure his spot on the CJ Cup. This year will mark his second consecutive time competing at the event. The Genesis Championship will be held in October at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon.

The top three Korean golfers on the world rankings will also be eligible for the CJ Cup.

CJ decided to add two more sponsor's invitations this year, which makes 10 in total. Six spots will be given to PGA Tour golfers while CJ will choose four other golfers without restriction.

A Korean has yet to win the CJ Cup, since the inaugural event in 2017.

Justin Thomas of the United States won the 2017 edition after a playoff against Marc Leishman of Australia. Brooks Koeoka won in 2018, four strokes ahead of countryman Gary Woodland. In 2019, Thomas won again, two strokes ahead of Danny Lee of Australia.

At Shadow Creek in 2020, Jason Kokrak of the United States won two strokes ahead of countryman Xander Schauffele.

The defending champion is Rory McIlroy of Ireland, who last year won one stroke ahead of Collin Morikawa of the United States at The Summit Club.

Last year, Im Sung-jae finished tied for ninth, carding 20-under-par, five strokes behind the winner, to become the only Korean golfer to finish in the top 10.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]