Kim Juhyung 3-Under Par Momentum... Im Sungjae Starts 2-Over Par

Juhyung Kim Ties for Lead with Hoblyn and Two Others on First Day of Hero World Challenge
Thomas and Scheffler Tied for 9th, Rahm Tied for 13th, Seongjae Lim Tied for 15th

Kim Joo-hyung is making a chip shot on the 3rd hole on the first day of the Hero World Challenge. Bahamas=AP·Yonhap News Photo by AP

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] It is the exciting momentum of Kim Joo-hyung (20), the ‘PGA crowd-puller.’

On the 1st (local time), Kim Joo-hyung posted a 3-under-par 69 on the first day of the special event Hero World Challenge (total prize money $3.5 million) held at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas (par 72, 7,414 yards), positioning himself in a tie for the lead. Defending champion Viktor Hovland (Norway), Collin Morikawa (USA), and Sepp Straka (Austria) joined the co-leader group, engaging in a fierce battle.

Kim Joo-hyung made three birdies without any bogeys. After maintaining par for 10 holes, he secured his first birdie on the 11th hole (par 5). He added two more birdies on the 14th and the final 18th holes (both par 4). His precise tee shots stood out with a fairway hit rate of 92.31%. However, his green in regulation rate was a disappointing 55.56%. Leading by one stroke in a tie for first place, he is in a position to contend for the championship.

Ranked 15th in the world, Kim Joo-hyung is a ‘young gun’ attracting attention on the PGA Tour. In August, he won his first career title at the PGA Tour Wyndham Championship as a ‘special member,’ and in October, he collected another trophy at the Shriners Children’s Open just two months later. He set a remarkable record as the youngest PGA two-time winner (20 years and 3 months). Kim Joo-hyung entered this tournament after finishing tied for 4th at the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) Dunlop Phoenix Tournament on the 20th.

The Hero World Challenge is a stage hosted by the ‘Golf Emperor’ Tiger Woods (USA). Although it is not an official PGA Tour event, the winner’s prize is a whopping $1 million (about 1.3 billion KRW), and world ranking points are also at stake. Only 20 players can participate. Woods was scheduled to compete for the first time since 2019 but withdrew due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

‘Taekwondo boy’ Hovland recorded an eagle shot on the 14th hole, two birdies, and one bogey. As Norway’s first PGA champion, he has accumulated three career wins. He is widely known among domestic fans as a Taekwondo black belt. Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, and Tony Finau (all USA) are tied for 9th place (even par 72), and Jon Rahm (Spain) is tied for 13th place (1-over-par 73). Im Sung-jae (24) made three birdies, three bogeys, and one double bogey, finishing tied for 15th place (2-over-par 74).

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