Im Sungjae "4 Over Par Thorny Path at Winning Turf"... Kitayama Surprises with 6 Under Par Lead

Honda Classic 2020 First Victory Achiever Stumbles to Tied 112th on Day One, Noh Seung-yeol Shines with 2-Under Par Tied 10th, Kang Sung-hoon at 1-Under Par Tied 28th

Im Sung-jae is preparing for a shot on the 8th hole on the first day of the Honda Classic. Palm Beach Gardens, USA = Getty Images / Multibits
Photo by Multibits

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] "4 over par, tied for 112th."

Im Sung-jae (24) walked a thorny path rather than his usual winning ground. On the 25th (Korean time), at the PGA National Golf Club (par 70, 7,125 yards) in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA, where the Honda Classic (total prize money $8 million) opened, he shot a whopping 4 over par on the first day. Kurt Kitayama (USA) leads surprisingly at 6 under par, with Rory Sabbatini (Slovakia) and Daniel Berger (USA) tied for second place at 5 under par 65, one stroke behind, in pursuit.

Im Sung-jae recorded 2 birdies, 2 bogeys, and 2 double bogeys. He started well with a birdie on the 3rd hole (par 5) with a '2 on 2 putt,' but immediately made a double bogey on the 5th hole (par 3) when his tee shot landed in the water. On the 9th hole (par 4), his second shot landed in a greenside bunker, resulting in a bogey. The birdie on the 11th hole (par 4) was exchanged for a bogey on the 12th hole (par 4). The last 18th hole (par 5) was especially regrettable. After a '3 on,' his par putt from just 1.2 meters passed the hole by 3 meters, and he missed the bogey putt as well, suffering a fatal '4-putt double bogey.'

This tournament is especially significant as it was where he achieved his first PGA Tour win in 2020. He has been particularly strong on the PGA National course, finishing tied for 8th last year, among other achievements. This is why experts have pointed to him as the 'number one favorite to win.' However, on this day, his green hit rate was 61.11%, and his average putts per hole soared to 2.18, showing difficulties on the greens. Among Koreans, Noh Seung-yul (32) is performing well, tied for 10th at 2 under par, Kang Sung-hoon (35) is tied for 28th at 1 under par, and Lee Kyung-hoon (31) is tied for 45th at even par.

No Seung-yeol is watching the ball right after his tee shot on the 8th hole on the first day of the Honda Classic. Palm Beach Gardens, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

Noh Seung-yul held steady with pars on the final 15th to 17th holes, known as the 'Bear Trap.' This is the toughest section, created by Jack Nicklaus (USA) in 2001 during a renovation, modeled after the 'Amen Corner' of Augusta National's 11th to 13th holes. At the teeing ground of the 15th hole (par 3), a large bear statue and a sign saying "You have now entered the Bear Trap" were installed. He recorded 4 birdies and 2 bogeys, with an impressive 1.69 putts per hole, showing 'stingy putting.'

Billy Horschel and Brooks Koepka (USA) joined in tied for 10th place. Joaquin Niemann (Chile), the Genesis Invitational champion, remained tied for 45th. After a strong start with 4 under par over the first 12 holes from the 10th hole (par 4), he lost 4 strokes over the remaining 6 holes, including a double bogey on the 4th hole (par 4). Defending champion Matt Jones (Australia) is also tied for 104th at 3 over par, making it urgent just to advance to the third round rather than defend his title.

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