Kang Sung-hoon 12th "PO Game 1 Ticket Uncertain"... Henry Leads

Wyndham Championship Day 2 Slightly Slowed at 1 Under Par, 'Tokyo Olympic Silver' Sabatini in Joint 2nd Place Chase

Kang Sung-hoon is teeing off on the 16th hole on the second day of the Wyndham Championship. Greensboro, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] "Playoff (PO) projected ranking 177th."

Kang Sung-hoon (34, CJ Logistics) struggled with 1-under par on the second day of the Wyndham Championship (total prize money $6.4 million), the final regular season event of the 2021 PGA Tour, held on the 14th (Korean time) at Sedgefield Country Club (par 70, 7,131 yards) in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, remaining tied for 12th place (7-under par 133). Russell Henley (USA) led for the second consecutive day (14-under par 126), with Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Rory Sabbatini (Slovakia), Webb Simpson, and Scott Piercy (both USA) tied for second place (10-under par 130).

Kang Sung-hoon succeeded in an early spurt with 6-under par on the first day but faltered in putting on this day, managing only three birdies (two bogeys). Above all, whether he qualifies for the PO starting next week is crucial. Currently ranked 177th, with this performance, entering the 'top 125' is impossible. The PO is a 'survival game' where only 125 players advance to the first event, The Northern Trust; 70 players to the second event, the BMW Championship; and only 30 players to the final third event, the Tour Championship.

Korea's Im Sung-jae (23) and Kim Si-woo (26) are tied for 23rd place (6-under par 134), while Lee Kyoung-hoon (30) and An Byeong-hun (30) are tied for 32nd place (5-under par 135). Im Sung-jae (30th in PO), Kim Si-woo (35th), and Lee Kyoung-hoon (36th) have already secured PO tickets, whereas An Byeong-hun is struggling at 164th place. Kim Si-woo earned his third career win at the American Express in January, and Lee Kyoung-hoon used his first victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson in May as momentum.

Henley is aiming for his fourth career win after a long gap of 4 years and 4 months since the Shell Houston Open in April 2017. Locally, Sabbatini's bid for victory is another point of interest. Although originally from South Africa, he changed his nationality to that of his wife, Martina Stoopanikova, in 2019 and secured a silver medal at last month's Tokyo Olympics. It is surprising that Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) was cut off. 'Rapid-fire golfer' Rickie Fowler (USA) also left the course early.

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