CJ Group is pursuing two goals simultaneously through its U.S. PGA Tour event. The conglomerate is leveraging the golf tournament as a global sports-culture platform to introduce K-food and K-culture worldwide, while also strengthening communication with local residents through corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities for future generations and the local community.
CJ Group is promoting its brands such as Bibigo and Olive Young through The CJ Cup Byron Nelson (total prize money of $10.3 million) on the PGA Tour, which opens Wednesday at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas. At the same time, the group is running various CSR programs to support the growth of future golf prospects and engage with the local community.
CJ Group has expanded the House of CJ, an experience hall featuring core group brands such as Bibigo, Olive Young, and Tous Les Jours, to approximately 227 pyeong — about 20% larger than last year. Located at the center of the tournament venue, the House of CJ operates as a global K-lifestyle showcase where visitors can experience K-food, K-beauty, and K-entertainment in one space.
On-site activities include Bibigo product exhibitions, TikTok challenges, and photo wall events. Participating visitors will receive customized Bibigo dumpling packages and various promotional goods. The tournament also marks the debut of "Durumi," a K-street food brand, which will use the opportunity to gauge the tastes of international customers.
"The House of CJ is a space designed to allow golf fans to naturally experience Korean lifestyle and culture beyond just sports," a CJ Group official said. "Through The CJ Cup, we will continue to expand K-culture globally and broaden our touchpoints with local fans."
CJ Group is also actively pursuing co-prosperity with the local community. At the group level, the initiative receiving the most attention is Bridge Kids, which has been operating since 2017. Bridge Kids is CJ Group's global youth development program that helps future golf talents shape their dreams by directly interacting with world-class players. At this year's event held Tuesday near the tournament course, 16 junior golfers and Korean-American prospects selected from the Northern Texas PGA and Dallas-area junior golf academies received one-point lessons and various advice from PGA Tour players including Lee Kyoung-hoon, a two-time winner of this tournament, and Tyler Duncan, a former world No. 1 amateur from the United States. "It was even more meaningful to be able to interact directly with young players again," Lee said. "I hope today's experience will serve as good motivation for the junior players."
This year, CJ Group introduced a new community-based social contribution program, the NTPGA Scholarship. The group selected five high school seniors from the Texas region and provided each with $10,000 in scholarships to help them grow into globally competitive talents in a stable environment.
In addition, during the tournament, CJ Group is running the Birdie Charity Program, which donates $1,000 for each birdie made at the 17th hole — known as the signature hole of TPC Craig Ranch. Through this program, $76,000 (approximately 114 million won) in 2024 and $104,000 (approximately 156 million won) in 2025 were donated to support mental health for children and adolescents in the local community.
