McKINNEY, Texas — The CJ Cup trophy isn’t a cup.
That is the first thing one notices when looking at the trophy, which debuts this year at what to many in the Dallas Metroplex will always simply be the Byron Nelson or the Nelson for short.
But a new title sponsor – AT&T is out and CJ Group, a South Korea-based holding group with a presence in food, retail, logistics, media, and biotechnology, is in for the next 10 years – means change is afoot at the long-running annual stop near Dallas that has been associated with Nelson, the Hall of Famer who retired to the ranch he purchased with his winnings at age 34, in 1968.
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Here’s the back story behind the unusual trophy:
Hanguel and Jikji
“The CJ Cup trophy draws inspiration from two of Korea’s greatest heritage: ‘Hangeul’ and ‘Jikjisimcheyojeol’ (Jiki). Hanguel is Korea’s own unique writing system and alphabet and Jiki is the oldest known book in the world (dating to 1377, 78 years before Johannes Gutenberg produced the Bible using his printing press) printed with moveable metal type.
“Hanguel is notable for being the only writing system in the world whose creator and principles behind the creation are known. Hanguel consists of 28 letters which include five basic consonants and three basic vowels. The consonants are shaped after the vocal organs and the vowels represent the sky, earth and man.
“Hanguel was created by adding strokes to these basic consonants and vowels. Today it is the writing system used for the Korean language.”
Name in gold
“During the past six editions of the CJ Cup (which were held on Jeju Island, South Korea, Las Vegas and Ridgeland, South Carolina), the names of all the players in the respective fields were engraved in Korean on the trophy. Once the winner was determined, his name was accentuated in gold before being presented.
“Beginning this year, the names of the past champions will be engraved on the trophy to commemorate the history and tradition of the newly launched CJ Cup Byron Nelson. The winner’s name will be engraved in Korean on the right-hand side of the trophy, currently painted in gold. The word ‘champion’ is carved in Korean but once the winner is confirmed, the player’s name will be inscribed in Korean, shining brightly in gold.
“The base of the trophy depicts an image of a bridge, symbolizing the link that connects the dream to reality. It also signifies the new partnership between the CJ Group and Byron Nelson, offering endless support so that everyone can achieve their dreams.”
There you have it. But the social media response to the trophy has been less than favorable.
