Sungjae Im Jumps to 1-Stroke Lead... Siwoo Kim Ties for 2nd Place

American Express Day 2: An Byeong-hun Fires 7 Under Par, Tied 26th; Sponsor Exemption Kim Joo-hyung 'Cut Off'

Im Sung-jae is hitting an iron shot on the 11th hole on the second day of the American Express. La Quinta, California, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Im Sung-jae (23, CJ Logistics) takes the lead.

On the 23rd (Korean time), at the La Quinta Stadium Course (Par 72, 7,113 yards) in California, USA, during the second day of the PGA Tour American Express (total prize money $6.7 million), Im surged with a 7-under-par round to instantly top the leaderboard at 11-under-par 133. Kim Si-woo (26, CJ Logistics), Nick Taylor (Canada), Abraham Ancer (Mexico), Tony Finau, and Brandon Hagy (both USA) are tied for second place at 10-under-par 134.

This tournament is well-known for its pro-am format, where amateur golfers, including sports stars, accompany the pros for the first three rounds. However, this year, considering the spread of COVID-19 in the US, amateur golfers are not participating. Also, unlike last year when three courses were used, the tournament is held only on two courses this year: the Nicklaus Tournament Course (Par 72, 7,152 yards) and the Stadium Course, excluding La Quinta (Par 72, 7,060 yards).

Im Sung-jae started tied for 15th place, 4 strokes behind, and swept up 7 birdies without any bogeys. He made two pairs of consecutive birdies on holes 12-13 and 18-1, then added three more birdies on holes 3, 7, and 8. He relied on his long drives averaging 301.8 yards and his ‘stingy putting’ with an average of 1.462 putts per hole. Following his joint 5th place finish two weeks ago at the Sentry Tournament, the first event of the new year, this is another great opportunity to make a strong impression.

From Korea, Kim Si-woo joined the title race by shooting 4-under on the Nicklaus Tournament Course. An Byeong-hun (30, CJ Logistics) struggled with 1-over-par, dropping to a tie for 26th place (6-under-par 138). Lee Kyoung-hoon (30, CJ Logistics) is tied for 37th place (5-under-par 139). Meanwhile, Kim Joo-hyung (19, CJ Logistics) is tied for 83rd (2-under-par 142), Noh Seung-yul (31, Isu Group) tied for 125th (2-over-par 146), and Kang Sung-hoon (34, CJ Logistics) was cut off at 153rd place (10-over-par 154).

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