Siwoo Kim, Sungjae Im, and Kyunghoon Lee "Playoff Journey"... What About PO No.1 Morikawa?

'PO 1st Match' The Northern Trust Opens Night of 19th, 'Number 1' Ram, Defending Champ Johnson, and 'Hulk' DeChambeau Compete for Victory

Siwoo Kim, Sungjae Im, and Kyunghoon Lee (from left) are set to compete in the 'PO Round 1' The Northern Trust.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "The ultimate survival competition."

Siwoo Kim (26), Sungjae Im (23), and Kyunghoon Lee (30, all from CJ Logistics) are set to compete in the PGA Tour Playoffs (PO). The first event, The Northern Trust (total prize money $9.5 million), opens on the night of the 19th (Korean time) at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA (par 71, 7,410 yards). Starting with 125 players, only 70 advance to the second event, the BMW Championship (total prize money $9.5 million), and just 30 make it to the final third event, the Tour Championship, making it a true "survival game." Collin Morikawa (USA) currently holds the No. 1 spot in the PO rankings.

▲ Siwoo Kim "Wyndham Championship runner-up power" = Korea's Kim Siwoo is ranked 30th, Sungjae Im 31st, and Kyunghoon Lee 34th. They have effectively secured tickets to the second event early on. Kim Siwoo notably wrapped up his warm-up by finishing second at the Wyndham Championship, the final regular-season event of the 2021 season, which ended on the 16th. On the final day, he fired a 6-under-par to reach a tie for the lead but lost in a six-man playoff, leaving a bittersweet taste. He expressed high expectations, saying his recent shot feel is good.

Sungjae Im stands out with rich experience, having finished 11th in the third event last year. He earned his first victory at the Honda Classic in March and played all three PO events this season, securing $1 million in Wyndham Rewards for finishing 5th in the PO standings, plus a late-season bonus of $750,000 for 11th place, totaling $1.75 million (about 2.05 billion KRW) in additional income. His runner-up finish at the "Fall Masters" in November is a point of pride. This year, he is also on the rise with four top-10 finishes. Kyunghoon Lee joined the PGA Tour champions by winning the AT&T Byron Nelson in May.

For all three players, it is crucial not only to compete for the championship in this tournament but also to improve their PO rankings as much as possible. This is because "stroke bonuses" will be applied in the third event. The bonuses are distributed as follows: 1st place receives 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. The higher the seed, the greater the chance of winning the third event.

Collin Morikawa has already started his 'third win hunt' at The Northern Trust, the first match of the Playoffs.

▲ Morikawa "Protect the No. 1 seed" = In March, Morikawa won the World Golf Championships (WGC) Workday Championship series, and in July, he secured his second victory at the 149th Open Championship, the "oldest major." Having won two majors before turning 24, including the PGA Championship last August, he has drawn even more spotlight as the next-generation global star. Morikawa is already ranked 4th in the world and can ascend to No. 1 in the PO this time.

Jon Rahm (Spain), defending champion Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and "Hulk" Bryson DeChambeau (all USA) are other strong contenders. Johnson is eager for his first win of the season. Last year, he won four times?three in the 2020 season and once in 2021?but this year, his best results are four top-10 finishes in 15 tournaments. Although the course is different, this event offers a chance to change momentum on the "promised land," where he achieved a massive 11-stroke victory (30-under-par 254) last year.

2019 champion Patrick Reed is a dark horse. He won by one stroke (16-under-par 268) at Liberty National, showing exceptional compatibility with the course. Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth (both USA), as well as Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), have joined the competition for the title. Off the course, the performance of Cheson Hadley (USA), ranked 125th in the PO, is a hot topic. He barely qualified for this event by finishing tied for 15th at the Wyndham Championship and is challenging to advance to the second event.

Dustin Johnson is aiming to defend his title at The Northern Trust, the first event of the Playoffs.

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