[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The 2023 Genesis Invitational, a PGA Tour tournament, opens on the 16th (local time) at the Riviera Country Club in California, USA. Tiger Woods, the tournament host, will make his tour comeback after seven months, marking his first game of the season.
The tournament, sponsored by the Genesis brand, features world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, as well as Rory McIlroy (No. 2), Jon Rahm (No. 3), and others. A total of 132 players compete, including 19 of the top 20 ranked players. Korean players invited include Kim Young-su, who won the 2022 Genesis Championship on the KPGA (Korean Professional Golfers' Association) Korean Tour. Im Sung-jae, Kim Joo-hyung, and Kim Si-woo will also participate.
This year, the total prize money has increased by $8 million from last year, reaching $20 million. The winner will receive $3.6 million in prize money and a Genesis GV70 electric model. For the first time in a Genesis-sponsored tournament, hole-in-one prizes are offered on two holes for player-caddie pairs. If a hole-in-one is made on the 14th hole, the player and caddie will each receive a GV70 and GV60, respectively; on the 16th hole, they will receive a G80 electric model and GV60.
The company plans to operate a caddie-only lounge during the tournament and provide 260 vehicles. Song Min-gyu, head of Genesis Business Division, said, "We will continue to provide sincere support not only for golf but also for community sponsorship through ‘bold commitment’."
Genesis announced it will donate $1 million over five years to the TGR Foundation, where Tiger Woods is involved, to support local youth education. Part of the sponsorship will be used by the foundation to launch an educational program for designers at the Genesis Design Studio. Genesis has been sponsoring this tournament since 2017.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
