'PGA Tour PO Round 2 in Sight': Im Sung-jae Ties for Sixth on Day 1, Just One Stroke Behind the Lead Group

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Im Sung-jae climbed to the top of the leaderboard on the first day of the FedEx Cup Playoffs (PO) Round 1 at the PGA Tour, boosting his chances of advancing to Round 2.

On the 14th (Korean time), Im carded a 4-under-par 66 with seven birdies and three bogeys in the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship (total purse: $20 million) at TPC Southwind (par 70) in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

As a result, Im tied for sixth place alongside Tommy Fleetwood (England), Gary Woodland, Chris Gotterup, Bud Cauley (all USA), Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), and Adam Scott (Australia). He trails the five players who formed the lead group with 5-under-par 65 — Michael Thorbjornsen, Jordan Spieth, Kurt Kitayama, Jake Napp, and Michael Kim (all USA) — by just one stroke.

Im had qualified for the Tour Championship seven consecutive years from 2019 through last year but began this year's Playoffs ranked 53rd in the FedEx Cup standings due to injuries sustained earlier in the season.

From the opening day of the tournament, Im climbed into the upper ranks and laid the groundwork for a rise in his ranking. If he maintains his current performance through the end of the event, he will secure a ticket to Round 2 by moving up eight spots to 45th in the FedEx Cup standings.

Starting from the first hole on this day, Im made his first birdie at the third hole and then recorded consecutive birdies at the fifth and sixth holes (both par 4), building momentum. He committed his first bogey at the eighth hole and settled for a two-stroke reduction in the front nine.

Riding the momentum, Im experienced a fluctuating rhythm in the back nine: birdie on the 10th followed by a bogey on the 11th, then another birdie on the 14th paired with a bogey on the 15th. However, he secured consecutive birdies at the 16th and 17th holes to close out the first day in a tie for sixth place.

Other Korean players also began the tournament by lowering their scores or finishing even par. Kim Ju-hyung, who entered the Playoffs for the first time since 2022 ranked 26th in the FedEx Cup standings, recorded four birdies and three bogeys for a 1-under-par 69, placing him tied for 26th. Having achieved his fourth career victory at the Genesis Scottish Open in July after a 33-month drought, Kim delivered a steady start.

Kim Si-woo, who entered the Playoffs ranked seventh after finishing as runner-up twice and reaching the top 10 ten times across 21 tournaments this year, shot an even-par 70 with one eagle, two birdies, two bogeys, and one double bogey, remaining tied for 37th.

World No. 1 and FedEx Cup leader Scottie Scheffler (USA) finished tied for 17th with a 2-under-par 68, while World No. 2 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) struggled to a 4-over-par 74, placing him tied for 68th.

The FedEx Cup, launched in 2007, allows the top 70 players by cumulative regular-season points to compete in Round 1. Only the top 50 advance to Round 2, the BMW Championship (total purse: $20 million), which begins on the 21st. The final event, the Tour Championship (total purse: $40 million), starting on the 28th, grants participation rights to just 30 players.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original