Withdraws from The CJ Cup to Focus on Rehabilitation
Plans to Return to the Tour in the Fall Series
Kyunghoon Lee will be stepping away from the field for a while.
Kyunghoon Lee has applied for a medical leave from the PGA Tour due to a back injury. Photo by AP Yonhap News
He was scheduled to compete in the PGA Tour's The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, which will be held for four days starting May 1 (local time) at TPC Craig Ranch (par 71, 7,569 yards) near Dallas, Texas, USA. However, he decided to withdraw due to a recurring back injury. His sponsor, CJ Group, announced on April 29, "Kyunghoon Lee has applied for a medical leave," and added, "He plans to return for the fall series this year." Kyunghoon Lee will focus on treatment and training in Korea. He plans to build a stronger body through golf training.
Expectations were high for Kyunghoon Lee at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson. He has shown his strengths on this course. He won the AT&T Byron Nelson held here in both 2021 and 2022, achieving back-to-back victories. He became the first Korean player to win two consecutive PGA Tour tournaments. At the time of his victories, Kyunghoon Lee said, "I feel at ease when I come here. It feels as if the god of golf is helping me, and everything goes well."
Kyunghoon Lee has struggled somewhat this year due to his injury. He has played in 10 tournaments and made the cut only twice. His best result was a tie for ninth at the Farmers Insurance Open in January, which was his only top-10 finish. Since joining the PGA Tour in 2019, he had consistently posted solid results, but his recent slump has dropped his world ranking to 193rd and his FedEx Cup ranking to 156th.
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