CJ Cup brings Korean food, entertainment to McKinney course

McKinney gets a tournament that feels like a festival

At TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, the CJ Cup Byron Nelson runs May 21-24, and the four-day stop is built to draw more than golf regulars. The 2026 event is a full-field PGA TOUR regular-season tournament with 156 players, a $10.3 million purse, $1.85 million to the winner and 500 FedExCup points on the line.

The golf course itself also looks different after Scottie Scheffler’s 2025 win. A $25 million redesign brought new bunkers, resurfaced greens, new grass turf and longer holes designed to make scoring tougher, which should give the week a different feel for fans who have watched low numbers pile up in recent years.

House of CJ is the biggest ticket-value shift

The clearest change for casual fans is House of CJ, the cultural space set near the 18th fairway and open to all ticket holders. Instead of treating the tournament as a place to walk from tee to green and leave, it gives visitors a reason to linger, eat, shop and watch performances even if they do not know every player in the field.

Inside, the experience is built around Korean food, beauty and entertainment. Visitors can browse skincare and beauty brands from CJ Olive Young, sample food from bibigo, and pick up coffee and pastries from Tous les Jours, while CJ ENM content brings Korean film, television and music into the space through ScreenX theater technology.

What makes that matter for Collin County families is that the activation changes the day from a single-sport outing into a longer, more flexible visit. A parent can watch a few holes, let kids explore the food and music area, and still feel like the ticket paid for a full festival experience rather than a narrow golf admission.

• CJ Olive Young adds skincare and beauty shopping.
• bibigo brings Korean food and quick bites.
• Tous les Jours offers coffee and pastries.
• CJ ENM adds film, TV and music through ScreenX.
• A daily DJ set keeps the atmosphere moving with K-pop and other tracks.

Food is spreading across the course, not staying in one corner

The Korean influence is not limited to House of CJ. Bibigo is also operating concessions at the 7th and 17th holes, giving spectators an easier way to grab food without stepping away from the action for long stretches.

That detail matters for accessibility because quick-service food can make the event less intimidating for first-time attendees and easier for families with kids. A tournament that offers familiar grab-and-go choices, plus curated chef concepts, is more welcoming than one that assumes every fan will plan a long, uninterrupted day around elite golf.

The result is a more practical ticket for people across Collin County who may not be coming mainly for the leaderboard. Someone from Plano, Frisco, Allen or farther west in the county can treat the day like a hybrid of live sports, cultural event and food festival, which broadens the tournament’s reach beyond traditional golf fans.

The golf still carries real weight

Even with the festival atmosphere, the field remains one of the week’s main draws. Scottie Scheffler is back after last year’s victory, and he joins a recent champion list that also includes Taylor Pendrith in 2024, Jason Day in 2023 and K.H. Lee in 2022 and 2021.

The tournament’s history adds another layer. The Salesmanship Club of Dallas has hosted the event since 1968, and the PGA TOUR says five of the last six champions have been international players, which gives the event a more global profile than a typical local stop.

That global identity is part of why the CJ Cup name matters. The event began in South Korea, later moved through several U.S. stops and eventually settled in North Texas after CJ Group’s title sponsorship rebranded it as THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. What is happening in McKinney now is not just a golf tournament settling into place; it is a cross-border sports property using Collin County as a stage.

The charity side is central, not secondary

The community impact is substantial, and it is one of the reasons the event has remained important to North Texas for so long. Official sources say the tournament has generated more than $195 million for Momentous Institute, which supports mental health programs for children, families and communities.

That charitable mission gives the week a public-health dimension that is easy to overlook if the focus stays only on the fairways. Mental health access, youth support and family stability are all part of the tournament’s footprint, and PGA TOUR coverage also ties CJ Group’s Birdies for charity and Bridge Kids youth initiative to the event.

What McKinney gains from keeping the event

Visit McKinney says the city approved an extension in October 2025 to keep hosting through 2030, with an optional extension through 2033. The city also says the tournament has brought thousands of visitors, national TV coverage and millions in economic impact, making it one of McKinney’s most visible annual events.

The agreement also ties hosting to course improvements and public support, including up to $500,000 in infrastructure assistance for every $10 million in course improvements. For a growing city in Collin County, that means the event is not only a sports draw but also a long-term civic investment, one that now blends elite golf with Korean food, K-culture and a more approachable day at the course.

By the time fans leave TPC Craig Ranch, the hope is that they remember more than the winner’s score. If the CJ Cup works the way organizers intend, McKinney will feel less like a stop on a golf calendar and more like a cultural destination with enough variety to pull in the whole county.