'PO Ranking No.1' Im Sungjae "Good Start with 4-Under Par"... McIlroy at 2-Under Par

Charles Schwab Challenge Day 1 Tied 16th, Rose and Barner III Tied Lead at 7 Under, Thomas 6 Under Tied 3rd

Im Sung-jae is looking at the ball on the 18th hole on the first day of the Charles Schwab Challenge. Fort Worth (Texas, USA) = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] 'PO Ranking No.1' Im Sung-jae (22, CJ Logistics) is off to a good start.

On the 12th (Korean time), at the Colonial Golf Club in Fort Worth, Texas, USA (Par 70, 7,209 yards), the first day of the PGA Tour Charles Schwab Challenge (total prize money $7.5 million) opened, and he posted 4 under par to stand tied for 16th place. Justin Rose (England) and Harold Varner III (USA) lead the tournament tied at 7 under par, with Justin Thomas (USA) chasing closely at 1 stroke behind, tied for 3rd place (6 under par, 64 strokes). World No.1 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) is tied for 39th at 2 under par.

It is encouraging that Im Sung-jae’s real-game shot sense is alive. This tournament is the stage that reopens the 2020 season, which was suspended for three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic after The Players Championship, known as the '5th Major,' in March. He earned his first PGA Tour victory at the Honda Classic in March and took over the top spot in the Playoff (PO) rankings with a tie for 3rd place at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Currently, he ranks 2nd in prize money with $3.86 million.

On this day, Im Sung-jae combined 5 birdies and 1 bogey. Starting at the 10th hole (par 4), he opened the scoring with consecutive birdies on the 17th and 18th holes. He added a birdie on the 2nd hole (par 4) in the back nine to maintain momentum, exchanged a bogey on the 3rd hole (par 4) for a birdie on the 6th hole (par 4), and finished with a birdie on the final 9th hole (par 4). He complemented his game with long drives up to 311 yards and a green hit rate of 72.22%, showcasing his 'pinpoint iron shots,' and especially stood out with an average of 1.62 putts per hole, demonstrating his 'stingy putting.'

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy shows disappointment after missing a putt on the 7th hole during the first day of the Charles Schwab Challenge. Fort Worth, Texas, USA ? Photo by Getty Images/Multivitz

Korea’s An Byeong-hun (29) is tied for 26th at 3 under par, and Kim Si-woo (25) follows tied for 57th at 1 under par. Meanwhile, Kang Sung-hoon (33) and Lee Kyoung-hoon (29, both CJ Logistics) are struggling, tied for 110th at 2 over par. It is interesting that Kang Sung-hoon made a hole-in-one on the 13th hole (par 3). From a distance of 162 yards, his 9-iron shot flew over a large water hazard and landed in front of the pin, then went straight into the hole.

Locally, Thomas’s pursuit of his '3rd win' is the biggest point of interest. He unleashed a massive 345-yard drive and made 6 birdies, quickly emerging as the 'top favorite to win.' He had already secured two wins early this season at The CJ Cup in October last year and the Sentry Tournament in January, and is competing for the title with Im Sung-jae, ranking 1st in prize money and 2nd in PO rankings. Bryson DeChambeau (USA) appeared as a dark horse, tied for 7th at 5 under par.

McIlroy finished his warm-up with 3 birdies and 1 bogey, reducing 2 strokes. He showed precision by missing the green only three times but was hindered by an average of 1.83 putts per hole. Brooks Koepka (USA) joined this group. 'Number 2' Jon Rahm (Spain) is tied for 57th along with veteran Phil Mickelson (USA), still not showing much strength. Dustin Johnson (USA) also fell back to tied for 94th at 1 over par, lacking presence.

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