The PGA Tour struck another partnership with a foreign tour in its pursuit to strengthen the professional game against the LIV Golf threat.
The tour and DP World Tour announced that they have expanded their relationships with the Korea Professional Golfers’ Association, with the KPGA now a part of the circuits’ strategic alliance.
“Sungjae Im, KH Lee, Si Woo Kim and Joo-hyung ‘Tom’ Kim are all becoming household names in the United States thanks in large part to the contributions they made this past September for the International Team at the 2022 Presidents Cup,” said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. “What each of those young stars has in common is that they all honed their craft at the KPGA, which continues a proud tradition of producing world-class talent each and every year. We look forward to seeing the next set of young stars from this proud golf country make their way onto the DP World Tour and perhaps subsequently onto the PGA Tour in future seasons.”
As part of the expanded relationship, the KPGA leader in its season-long points race will earn membership onto the DP World Tour, beginning in 2023. That honor goes to Yeongsu Kim after wins at the Genesis Championship and season-ending LG Signature Players Championship . Kim also gets a spot in the Genesis Scottish Open, a co-sanctioned event on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour. Other high finishers on the KPGA’s points list will earn entry into the DP World Tour’s Q-school. The tours announced they will continue to discuss promotion pathways for playing exemptions.
Additionally, the partnership sees the launch of a new $2 million tournament in Korea co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour. The event, the Korea Championship, will be played at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon.
The news comes weeks after the PGA Tour brought the Japan Golf Tour Organization into its newly-formed consortium in the face of the fledgling Saudi-backed circuit, preventing LIV Golf from partnering with groups similar to their arrangements with the Asian and MENA Tours.
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