'Phoenix Open Champ' Scheffler 2nd Place "Start of Back-to-Back Wins"... Kim Siwoo Tied 22nd

Genesis Invitational Day 1: Niemann Surprises with 8-Under Par Lead, Defending Champ Homa Tied for 2nd, 'Number 2' Morikawa Tied for 6th

'Phoenix Open champ' Scottie Scheffler is teeing off at the 10th hole on the first day of the Genesis Invitational. Pacific Palisades, California, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] It is the ‘2nd consecutive victory march’ of Scotty Scheffler (USA), the ‘Phoenix Open champ.’

On the 18th (Korean time), at the Riviera Golf Club in Pacific Palisades, California, USA (par 71, 7,322 yards), the first day of the PGA Tour Genesis Invitational (total prize money $12 million), Scheffler shot 5 under par to position himself tied for 2nd place, 3 strokes behind. Joaquin Niemann (Chile) surprisingly leads at 8 under par, while defending champion Max Homa and Jordan Spieth (both USA) are in a chase pack tied for 2nd. Korea’s Kim Si-woo (27) is watching for an opportunity at tied 22nd with 2 under par.

Scheffler secured his first victory at the Phoenix Open which ended on the 14th. He advanced to the PGA Tour in 2020 after going through the Korn Ferry Tour (2nd tier) in 2019 and immediately won Rookie of the Year. He made his presence known with runner-up finishes at the Dell Technologies Match Play in March last year and the Houston Open in November, which was included in the 2022 season. Especially at the Phoenix Open victory, his thrilling playoff (PO) duel over three extra holes against ‘Playoff champ’ Patrick Cantlay stood out.

On this day, he combined 1 eagle, 4 birdies, and 1 bogey. He started well with a birdie on the 10th hole (par 4), had the only bogey on the 13th hole (par 4), but followed with consecutive birdies on the 16th and 17th holes, and an eagle with ‘2-on 1-putt’ on the 1st hole of the back nine (par 5). His maximum 341-yard long drive, 72.22% greens in regulation, and ‘pinpoint iron shots’ were impressive, but above all, his ‘stingy putting’ averaging 1.62 putts per hole was powerful. He finished on a high note with a birdie on the final 9th hole (par 4).

Kim Si-woo is attempting a putt on the 12th hole on the first day of the Genesis Invitational. Pacific Palisades, California, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Getty Images

This tournament is especially a stage where ‘Golf Emperor’ Tiger Woods appears as the host. For Scheffler, it is a golden opportunity to add another trophy in a star-studded match featuring world stars including world No. 1 Jon Rahm (Spain). Homa is a player to watch out for, recalling the thrilling memory of defeating Tony Finau on the second hole of a playoff last year. ‘No. 2’ Collin Morikawa (USA) is tied for 6th at 4 under par, while Rahm remains tied for 22nd.

Other contenders such as Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) and ‘Tokyo Olympic gold medalist’ Xander Schauffele (USA) also entered tied for 22nd. Cantlay finished tied for 43rd at 1 under par, and ‘No. 3’ Viktor Hovland (Norway) also showed a ‘rollercoaster play’ tied for 61st at even par. Im Sung-jae (24) is tied for 61st, Lee Kyoung-hoon (31) and ‘domestic player’ Lee Jae-kyung (23) are tied for 77th at 1 over par. Lee Jae-kyung earned his entry as the champion of last year’s Korean Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour Genesis Championship.

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