Sungjae Im "2 Over Par Slip"... What About 'Hulk' DeChambeau?

RBC Heritage Day 1: Polter Tied for Lead, DeChambeau Leads with 336-Yard Drives at 4-Under Par, 120th Place

Im Sung-jae lost 2 strokes on the first day of the RBC Heritage and dropped to a tie for 120th place.

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

On the 19th (Korean time), at the Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA (par 71, 7,099 yards), the first day of the PGA Tour RBC Heritage (total prize money $7.1 million) saw him shoot 2-over par, dropping to a tie for 120th place. Ian Poulter (England) and Mark Hubbard (USA) surged with 7-under par to share the lead, while Viktor Hovland (Norway) chased from a one-stroke behind tie for 3rd place (6-under par 65).

Im Sung-jae recorded 2 birdies and 4 bogeys. His iron shots faltered, leading to consecutive bogeys on holes 12 and 13, followed by a '4-on 2-putt' bogey on the 15th hole (par 5), losing 3 strokes in the first 6 holes. He changed the momentum with a birdie on the 16th hole (par 4), but a tee shot into the water on the 3rd hole of the back nine (par 3) stalled his progress again. He struggled on the greens with an average of 1.83 putts per hole. Fortunately, a birdie on the final 5th hole (par 5) helped him reduce one stroke.

The disappointment was greater considering Im Sung-jae had entered the 'top 10' in the last three consecutive tournaments. He secured his first victory at the Honda Classic in March and took over the PO ranking No.1 with a tie for 3rd at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. For now, advancing to the third round is crucial. Other Koreans also struggled: Kang Sung-hoon (33), Lee Kyoung-hoon (29), and Kim Si-woo (25) tied for 101st at 1-over par, K.J. Choi (50, SK Telecom) at 2-over par, and An Byeong-hun (29) tied for 134th at 3-over par.

Poulter swept up 7 birdies. He is poised to claim his third PGA Tour win after 2 years and 2 months since the Houston Open in April 2018. Known as the 'King of Match Play,' 'Field Fashionista,' and 'Classic Car Collector,' he is a popular figure. His flashy designs and colorful outfits, along with his unique hobby of buying classic cars whenever he sees them, have made headlines. He mainly played on the European Tour but has been competing on the PGA Tour since 2005.

'Hulk' Bryson DeChambeau (USA) joined the winner's race at 4-under par, tied for 16th. It is interesting that he has increased his body weight by 18 kg as part of his 'long drive experiment.' He also unleashed a maximum 336-yard drive that day. The 'Big 5 battle' is in a lull. World No.1 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) and No.3 Justin Thomas (USA) are at 1-over par, while No.2 Jon Rahm (Spain) is at even par, showing little presence. Brooks Koepka (USA) is tied for 16th, the best among them.

Bryson DeChambeau is reading the putting line on the 18th hole during the first day of the RBC Heritage. Hilton Head (South Carolina, USA) = Getty Images / Multibits

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