Global automotive brand Genesis has announced a new Korea-centric partnership with European golf’s DP World Tour, one that will see the DP World Tour and Korea’s KPGA Tour merge an event.

Through a deal unveiled yesterday (April 3), the DP World Tour’s Korea Championship tournament, which was already co-sanctioned by the KPGA Tour, will merge with the KPGA Tour’s existing Genesis Championship and will use the latter name going forward.

Genesis has agreed a three-year title partnership for the newly merged event, having previously been the title partner of the KPGA Tour tournament of the same name and the presenting partner of the DP World Tour’s Korea Championship.

The newly merged event will become the last of the DP World Tour's new Back 9 swing of historic tournaments. It will be made up of 90 DP World Tour players, and 30 KPGA Tour players.

KPGA Tour chief executive Wonsup Mike Kim has stated: “This event marks a significant milestone in fostering a closer relationship between the DP World Tour and KPGA Tour. We extend our best wishes for a successful tournament."

The two golf bodies signed an initial partnership in May 2023 in order to create a pathway for KPGA Tour players to participate in the DP World Tour, with the merger of the Genesis Championship and Korea Championship another firm step towards that.

The Korea Championship was originally due to take place on April 21 this year, but will now instead take place from October 24-27 at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea, as the last event on the tour before the Abu Dhabi Championship and DP World Tour Championship season-ending playoff events.

In taking title sponsorship rights on for the newly merged event, Genesis deepens its links with professional golf’s elite competitions.

The auto manufacturer is also the title sponsor of the DP World Tour’s Scottish Open,  which is co-sanctioned by the elite-tier PGA Tour, and puts its name to the PGA Tour’s own annual Genesis Invitational in California, US, as well.