Siwoo Kim 2nd Place "Surprising 7-Under Par Surge"... Matsuyama Leads at 9-Under Par

The Players Championship Day 1: Im Sung-jae Tied 22nd at 3 Under Par, World No.1 McIlroy Pauses at Even Par

Kim Si-woo is teeing off at the 9th hole on the first day of The Players Championship. Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA = Getty Images / MultiBits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] It is Kim Si-woo's (25, CJ Logistics) 'surprise spurt.'

On the 13th (Korean time), at the PGA Tour 'The Players Championship' (total prize money $15 million), known as the 'fifth major,' held at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA (par 72, 7,189 yards), he shot 7-under par on the first day to tie for 2nd place. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) leads at 9-under par, with Harris English (USA) joining in a tie for 2nd. 'Honda Classic champ' Im Sung-jae (22, CJ Logistics) is tied for 22nd at 3-under par.

Kim Si-woo recorded 1 eagle, 6 birdies, and 1 bogey. Starting at the 10th hole (par 4), he opened the scoring early with an eagle on the 11th hole (par 5). He demonstrated remarkable skill by holing a 55-yard chip shot from the cart path. He added birdies consecutively on the 12th, 16th, 2nd, and 5th holes in the back nine, and recovered from a bogey on the 6th hole (par 4) with a birdie on the 7th hole (par 4). He finished on a high note with a superb greenside bunker shot for a birdie on the final 9th hole (par 5).

It is interesting that he shaved off a total of 5 strokes by collecting 1 eagle and 3 birdies on the four par-5 holes alone. He unleashed a maximum drive of 323 yards, missed the green 7 times, but his average of 1.36 'stingy putting' strokes proved powerful. It is worth noting that Kim Si-woo was the winner in 2017. On the final day, he shot 3-under par to secure a commanding 3-stroke victory on this 'promised land.' This is a great opportunity for him to break out of a slump, having missed the cut in 6 of his last 8 tournaments.

Im Sung-jae is examining the putting line on the 11th hole on the first day of The Players Championship. Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

Matsuyama tied the course record by posting an eagle with a '2-on 1-putt' on the 9th hole (par 5), along with 8 birdies and 1 bogey. He is the player who made headlines in 2017 by quickly sweeping 3 PGA Tour wins. However, he has been frustrated without a victory for 2 years and 7 months since the August World Golf Championships (WGC) Bridgestone Invitational. Webb Simpson (USA), the 2018 champion, is tied for 7th at 4-under par and is challenging to reclaim the title after 2 years.

Korea's Im Sung-jae has started his 'march to 2 wins.' He made 4 birdies and 1 bogey, sitting 6 strokes behind the leader, with still three days left for a sufficient chase. Lee Kyoung-hoon (29) and An Byeong-hun (29) follow at 2-under par, tied for 37th. On the other hand, Kang Sung-hoon (33, also CJ Logistics) is struggling at 1-over par, tied for 98th. After faltering with 4 bogeys in the front nine due to shaky putting, he reduced his score with 3 birdies in the back nine, securing a spot for the second round.

Locally, the simultaneous poor performance of world stars has become a hot topic off the course. World No. 2 Jon Rahm (Spain) is tied for 22nd, No. 3 Brooks Koepka and No. 5 Dustin Johnson are tied for 37th, No. 4 Justin Thomas (all USA) is tied for 63rd at 1-under par, and No. 1 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) is tied for 83rd at even par. McIlroy is also the defending champion. Due to concerns over the recent spread of COVID-19 in the US, the PGA Tour will hold rounds from the second round onward as 'no-spectator events.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.