Sungjae Im "Great Start with 6-Under Par"… What About 'Hawaii Man' Thomas?

2021 First Tournament Sentry Tournament Day 1 Tied 3rd, Thomas Tied Lead at 8 Under Par for 'Back-to-Back Victory Bid'

Im Sung-jae is teeing off at the 16th hole on the first day of the Sentry Tournament. Kapalua (Hawaii, USA) = Getty Images / Photo by Multibits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] ‘5 Consecutive Birdies’.

Im Sung-jae (23, CJ Logistics) is off to a great start. On the 8th (Korean time) at the Kapalua Resort Plantation Golf Course (Par 73, 7,518 yards) on Maui Island, Hawaii, the opening day of the PGA Tour Sentry Tournament (total prize money $6.7 million), he posted 6 under par and proudly stands tied for 3rd place. This tournament is even more special as it is a ‘champion of champions’ event featuring only last year’s winners. World No. 3 Justin Thomas (USA) started his ‘back-to-back victory march’ tied for the lead at 8 under par.

Im Sung-jae qualified as the Honda Classic champion last March. He surged with a 4-under-par final round to clinch a one-stroke victory, becoming the 7th Korean champion in history. After a lull due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he regained momentum in majors with a 22nd place at the US Open in September and a runner-up finish at the Masters in November. At the end of the year, he established a solid base camp by purchasing a home inside the Sugarloaf TPC in Atlanta, Georgia.

On this day, he combined 7 birdies and 1 bogey. He got off to a start with consecutive birdies on holes 5 and 6, and although a bogey on the 8th hole (par 3) was disappointing, he swept up 5 consecutive birdies from holes 10 to 14 on the back nine. Most notably, his ‘solid shots’ stood out with a maximum drive of 369 yards and only missing the fairway three times. His green hit rate was 83.33% with ‘pinpoint iron shots’ and an average of 1.60 putts per hole with ‘stingy putting.’ Im Sung-jae himself expressed satisfaction, saying, "My shot feel is good."

Thomas made 8 birdies. This tournament is a ‘winning stronghold’ where he triumphed last year after a playoff battle with Patrick Reed and Xander Schauffele (both USA). It is interesting that he has been particularly strong in Hawaii, having won back-to-back weeks in 2017 at this tournament and the Sony Open. In the first round of the Sony Open, he made history with 2 eagles, 8 birdies, and 1 bogey for an 11-under-par 59 at the Waialae Golf Club (Par 70, 7,044 yards).

Harris English is tied for the lead, while Patrick Reed (USA), Sergio Garcia (Spain), and Nick Taylor (Canada) joined Im Sung-jae in the group tied for 3rd place. ‘The Hulk’ Bryson DeChambeau (USA) is tied for 12th at 4 under par. He is still focused on his ‘long drive experiments,’ hitting a massive 405-yard drive on the 12th hole (par 4). Jon Rahm (Spain) is tied for 22nd at 3 under par, and ‘Number 1’ Dustin Johnson (USA) finished his ‘warm-up’ tied for 30th at 2 under par.

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