'Olympic Ticket Secured' Kim Juhyung... 'Saw Only 8 Birdies?'

Travelers Championship First Day 8-Under Par Lead
Chance for 4th PGA Tour Win in 8 Months
Fowler 2nd, Scheffler 6th, An Byeonghun Withdraws

Golf is a mental battle.

Kim Joo-hyung is teeing off at the 6th hole during the first round of the Travelers Championship, a major tournament.
[Cromwell, USA=Photo by AFP·Yonhap News]

Kim Joo-hyung, who secured a ticket to the Paris Olympics, has returned to his former form. On the 20th (local time), at the Travelers Championship (total prize money $20 million) held at TPC River Highlands (Par 70, 6,835 yards) in Cromwell, Connecticut, USA, he shot an 8-under 62 in the first round, taking the top spot on the leaderboard. This is the last major tournament of the year. Seven of the top 10 players, including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Patrick Cantlay (all from the USA), participated. A total of 71 players are competing for the championship without missing the cut.

Kim Joo-hyung delivered a perfect performance with 8 birdies and no bogeys. After his first birdie on the 3rd hole (Par 4), he made 'stepping stone birdies' on the 6th and 8th holes, reducing his score by 3 strokes in the front nine. In the back nine, he continued with a birdie on the 10th hole (Par 4), followed by two pairs of consecutive birdies on the 12th-13th and 17th-18th holes. He was powered by a fairway hit rate of 78.57% and a green in regulation rate of 88.89%. When hitting the green, his putting average was an outstanding 1.50 putts. Leading by 2 strokes, he set the stage for his 4th career win, his first in 8 months since winning the Shriners Children's Open last October.

Kim Joo-hyung joined the PGA Tour in 2022 and quickly earned 3 wins, becoming a crowd-puller. His skills and marketability were recognized to the extent that Nike became his sponsor. However, this year started somewhat sluggishly. His only top 10 finish was a tie for 4th place at the RBC Canadian Open on the 2nd. It seems the pressure of the Paris Olympics in August affected his performance. After securing his ticket to the Paris Olympics on the 17th, he showed his strength with a spirited performance in his first tournament since.

Four players, including Rickie Fowler (USA), are chasing in a tie for 2nd place (6-under 64). Scheffler, who has 5 wins this year, and major PGA Championship winner Schauffele started comfortably in a tie for 6th place (5-under 65). Im Sung-jae finished the first round tied for 18th (3-under 67), Cantlay tied for 26th (2-under 68), and Kim Si-woo tied for 33rd (1-under 69). Another 'Olympic member,' An Byeong-hoon, withdrew after completing the 7th hole (Par 4).

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