Sungjae Im 6 Under Par "Good Start to the New Year"... DeChambeau "381-Yard Long Drive Show"

PGA Tour 2022 First Tournament Sentry Tournament Day 1 Tied 5th, Smith Leads at 8 Under Par

Im Sung-jae is executing an iron shot on the 4th hole on the first day of the Sentry Tournament. Hawaii (USA) = Getty Images / Photo by Multibits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] ‘Shriners Champ’ Im Sung-jae (24) is off to a good start in the new year.

On the 7th (Korean time), at the Plantation Golf Course (par 73, 7,596 yards) of Kapalua Resort on Maui Island, Hawaii, USA, the first day of the PGA Tour Sentry Tournament (total prize money $8.2 million) opened, and he shot 6 under par to tie for 5th place. This tournament is especially a ‘champion of champions’ event where only the 2021 champions participate. Cameron Smith (Australia) leads at 8 under par, while world No. 1 Jon Rahm (Spain), Patrick Cantlay, and Daniel Berger (both USA) are chasing closely at 7 under par (66 strokes), tied for 2nd place, one stroke behind.

Im Sung-jae eagled the 5th hole (par 5) and added five birdies (one bogey). He opened the scoring with a birdie on the 4th hole (par 4) and gained momentum with an eagle on the 5th hole with a ‘2-on 1-putt’. Although he had a ‘3-putt bogey’ on the 7th hole (par 4), he recovered with a birdie on the 9th hole (par 5), and swept three consecutive birdies from the 12th to 14th holes on the back nine. His ‘computer iron shots’ stood out, with a maximum drive of 364 yards and missing the green only twice. His average putts per hole were 1.69.

Attention should be paid to the perfect compatibility between Im Sung-jae and the Plantation Course. Last year, in his first appearance, he recorded scores in the 60s for four consecutive rounds (67-68-67-69) and finished tied for 5th place (21 under par, 271 strokes). In November 2021, at the Shriners Children’s Open, which is included in the 2022 season, he secured his first victory early and is already on a ‘two-win march’. He said, “Hawaii’s wind is a variable,” and added, “This year, I will challenge for multiple wins,” showing his fighting spirit.

‘Hulk’ Bryson DeChambeau is hitting a drive shot on the 11th hole on the first day of the Sentry Tournament. Hawaii, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Multibits

Locally, the ‘No. 1 competition’ between Rahm and Collin Morikawa is a point of interest. Rahm finished his warm-up tied for 8th at 5 under par with seven birdies, while Morikawa had seven birdies and two bogeys. ‘The Hulk’ Bryson DeChambeau and ‘Tokyo Olympic Gold’ Xander Schauffele (both USA), and ‘Masters Champ’ Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) are trailing at 4 under par, tied for 13th place. DeChambeau especially drew attention with a 381-yard drive on the 7th hole.

‘Oldest Major Champion’ Phil Mickelson (USA) is tied for 25th at 2 under par. He made headlines off the course by appearing for the first time in 21 years since 2001. Analysts attribute this to the PGA Tour’s newly introduced Player Impact Program this year. Based on player popularity measured by Google search volume and global media exposure, $40 million (47.86 billion KRW) is distributed among the top 10 players, with $8 million (9.57 billion KRW) going to the No. 1. From Korea, Kim Si-woo (27) is tied for 25th, and Lee Kyung-hoon (31) is tied for 29th at 1 under par.

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