Im Sungjae's European Tour Debut "3 Over Par Thorny Path"... Perez Leads

DP World Tour Championship First Day Tied 50th, Van Luyen and Two Others Tied 2nd by One Stroke, Reed Tied 9th

Im Sung-jae struggled with a 3-over par on the first day of his European Tour debut at the DP World Tour Championship.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "3-over-par, tied for 50th."

World No. 20 Im Sung-jae (22, CJ Logistics) is facing a tough debut on the European Tour. On the first day of the DP World Tour Championship (total prize money $8 million) held on the 11th (Korean time) at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, UAE (par 72, 7,677 yards), he struggled with a 3-over-par score, remaining tied for 50th place. This tournament is the final event of the 2020 season. The winner's prize is a whopping $3 million (32.5 billion KRW), making it a 'European version of the money war' even bigger than the majors.

The $500,000 (540 million KRW) bonus for the No. 1 spot in the 'Race to Dubai,' which is equivalent to the PGA Tour Playoffs (PO), is also at stake. It is interesting that Im Sung-jae is currently ranked 15th in the points ranking. He has secured 1,122.4 points in five co-sanctioned events with the PGA Tour, including a runner-up finish at the Masters in November. He trails No. 1 Patrick Reed (USA, 2,427.7 points) by 1,305.3 points, and the 2,000 points awarded for a win could propel him to the top spot.

Im Sung-jae recorded five birdies, four bogeys, and two double bogeys on the day. He started well with a birdie on the 2nd hole (par 5), but his iron shots faltered, resulting in consecutive bogeys on the 3rd and 4th holes, and a double bogey on the 8th hole (par 4), making for a challenging front nine. On the back nine, he regained some aggression by offsetting bogeys on the 10th and 12th holes with birdies on the 11th and 15th holes. After a bogey on the 16th hole (par 4), he changed the momentum with consecutive birdies on the 17th and 18th holes. The second round has become even more crucial.

Victor Perez (France) leads at 5-under-par, while three players including Erik van Rooyen (South Africa) are chasing at 4-under-par 68, tied for second place by one stroke. Reed made only two birdies to finish at 2-under-par, tied for ninth. He took over the No. 1 spot after winning the World Golf Championships (WGC) Mexico Championship in February. Christian Bezuidenhout (South Africa), who has won twice in the past three weeks, is looking for an opportunity from a tie for 18th at 1-under-par.

'Race to Dubai No.1' Patrick Reed is examining the putting line on the 7th hole on the first day of the DP World Tour Championship. Dubai (United Arab Emirates) = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Getty Images

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