Lee Kyung-hoon "Starts Tied 18th at 2 Under Par~"... 'The 5th Major' Postponed Due to Bad Weather from Day One

The Players Championship Day 1: Hojia and Fleetwood Share Lead at 6 Under, World No.1 Jon Rahm Tied 11th at 3 Under

Lee Kyung-hoon is attempting an approach shot on the 6th hole during the first day of The Players Championship, known as the "fifth major." Ponte Vedra Beach, USA = Getty Images / MultiVitz

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "2-under-par, tied for 19th."

Lee Kyung-hoon (31) has made a decent start. On the 11th (Korean time) at the PGA Tour’s ‘The Players Championship’ (total prize money $20 million), known as the ‘5th Major,’ held at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA (par 72, 7,256 yards), Lee played the first round. AT&T Champion Tom Hoge (USA) and Tommy Fleetwood (England) lead the field at 6-under-par, while Joaquin Niemann (Chile), the Genesis Invitational Champion, is chasing closely at 5-under-par, tied for 3rd, amid most players’ rounds being postponed due to severe weather.

Lee Kyung-hoon recorded one eagle, two birdies, and two bogeys. Although a bogey on the 6th hole (par 4) was shaky, his concentration shone through as he quickly reduced four strokes over three holes with consecutive birdies on the 9th and 10th holes and an eagle on the 11th hole (par 5) with a ‘2-on 1-putt.’ It was unfortunate that his 2-meter par putt on the 15th hole (par 4) missed. He managed to hold par on the crucial final challenge, the ‘death 17th hole.’ Above all, his green hit rate of 77.78% and ‘computer iron shots’ demonstrated great power.

Having joined the ranks of PGA Tour champions last May at the AT&T Byron Nelson, Lee Kyung-hoon is expected to show exceptional power in this high-profile match. He said, "The first eight holes didn’t go well," and added, "After nearly a three-hour delay, the momentum changed from the 9th hole with birdies and an eagle." He also noted, "Unlike last year, the greens are softer, so I’m putting more effort into adjusting the distance of my iron shots," and expressed his determination, "I will do my best until the end."

World No. 1 Jon Rahm is putting on the 11th hole on the first day of The Players Championship, known as the "fifth major." Ponte Vedra Beach, USA = Getty Images / Multivits

World No. 1 Jon Rahm (Spain) is tied for 11th at 3-under-par. Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka are 2-under-par over three holes, and Scottie Scheffler is 1-under-par over three holes, so the rankings are not yet meaningful. Scheffler, in particular, swept two wins in quick succession last month at the Waste Management Phoenix Open on the 24th and the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the 7th, marking ‘back-to-back wins’ and already eyeing his third victory of the 2022 season.

No. 2 Colin Morikawa is 1-under-par over two holes, while defending champion Justin Thomas (USA) and 2019 winner Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) are both even par over two holes, showing steady progress. On the other hand, ‘Playoff (PO) Champion’ Patrick Cantlay (USA) finished the first round tied for 68th at even par and is eager to improve. From Korea, Im Sung-jae (24) is struggling at even par. 2017 champion Kim Si-woo (27) did not even start.

"The Players," known as the "fifth major," was postponed from the first day due to severe weather. Ponte Vedra Beach, USA = Getty Images / Multivitz

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