Sungjae Im Moves Up to 2nd Place by 1 Stroke "Did You See the 6-Under?"... Johnson Leads

'PO Final Round 3' Tour Championship Day 2 6-Under Par Daily Best, Shoply 3rd Place 2 Strokes Behind

Im Sung-jae is teeing off on the 16th hole on the second day of the Tour Championship. Atlanta, Georgia, USA - Photo by Getty Images/Multibits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "6-under par daily best."

Im Sung-jae (22, CJ Logistics) has seized a chance to win the PGA Tour Playoffs (PO). On the 6th (Korean time) at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, USA (par 70, 7,280 yards), during the second day of the 'PO Final 3rd Round' Tour Championship, he surged with a 6-under par round to leap to 2nd place (12-under par). He is just one stroke behind the leader Dustin Johnson (USA, 13-under par), with the '15 million dollar (17.8 billion KRW) jackpot' in sight.

Im Sung-jae recorded seven birdies and one bogey. He opened the scoring early with consecutive birdies on holes 3 and 4, and recovered from a bogey on hole 5 (par 5) with a birdie on hole 6 (par 5). In the back nine, he maintained momentum with a birdie on hole 10 (par 4), followed by consecutive birdies on holes 15 and 16, and finished with a '2-on 2-putt' on the final hole 18 (par 5). Most notably, his pinpoint iron shots missed the green only twice. He complemented this with an average of 1.63 putts per hole, showcasing his precise putting.

It is interesting that Im Sung-jae started as the 9th seed (4-under par). This tournament features a staggered 'stroke bonus' system based on the points ranking after the PO 2nd round BMW Championship. The bonuses are applied as follows: 1st place gets up to 10-under par, 2nd place 8-under par, 3rd place 7-under par, 4th place 6-under par, 5th place 5-under par, 6th to 10th place 4-under par, 11th to 15th place 3-under par, 16th to 20th place 2-under par, 21st to 25th place 1-under par, and 26th to 30th place even par.

Compared to the 1st seed Johnson (10-under par), Im Sung-jae is at a significant 6-stroke disadvantage. Excluding the 'stroke bonus,' his combined score over two rounds is 8-under par, tied with 14th seed Xander Schauffele (USA, 11-under par) for the best actual score. He is also on track to become the second youngest champion in PO history, being two months older than 2015 winner Jordan Spieth (USA) was at the time. He expressed, "My shot feel has come alive," and vowed, "I will do my best."

Meanwhile, Johnson remained steady with four birdies and four bogeys. His tee shot fairway hit rate was only 14.29%, which slowed him down. The top contenders include Justin Thomas (USA) in 4th place (10-under par), and PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa (USA), Tyrrell Hatton (England), and Jon Rahm (Spain) tied for 5th place (9-under par), all eyeing their opportunities. Defending champion Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) lost one stroke and is tied for 8th place (8-under par).

PO ranking No. 1 Dustin Johnson (left) and No. 2 Jon Rahm are walking on the 1st hole on the second day of the Tour Championship. Atlanta, Georgia, USA ? Photo by Getty Images/Multivitz

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