Only Kim Si-woo 'Survives'... The Other Three 'Cut Off'

Only 2021 American Express champion Kim Si-woo ‘survived’.

Kim Si-woo

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On the 18th (local time), Kim Si-woo shot a 4-under-par 68 in the third round of the PGA Tour American Express (total prize money $8.8 million) held at the Pete Dye Stadium Course (par 72, 7,210 yards) at PGA West in La Quinta, California, USA, advancing to the final round tied for 44th place (10-under-par 206).

This tournament determined the finalists after completing rounds 1 to 3 at the Pete Dye Stadium Course, La Quinta Country Club (7,060 yards), and Nicklaus Tournament Course (7,147 yards, all par 72). The final 4th round will be held at the Pete Dye Stadium Course.

Starting tied for 58th, Kim Si-woo made seven birdies, one bogey, and one double bogey. He recovered from a double bogey on the 10th hole (par 4), the first hole, with consecutive birdies on the 11th and 12th holes, lost one stroke on the 16th hole (par 5), but immediately regained it on the 17th hole (par 3). Although he failed to reduce strokes in the front nine and looked unlikely to advance, Kim raised his ranking by making ‘two pairs of consecutive birdies’ on holes 1-2 and 7-8. Kim Si-woo won this tournament in 2021 and performed well with a tie for 11th place in 2022.

All other Korean players were ‘cut off.’ Lee Kyung-hoon showed strong finishing power with a 7-under-par 65 but finished tied for 80th (7-under-par 209), falling two strokes short of advancing to the final round. Kim Joo-hyung and Im Sung-jae both shot 4-under-par 68 to finish tied for 91st (6-under-par 210), ending their tournaments early.

Jep Straka (Austria) dominated the leaderboard with an 8-under-par 64 at La Quinta Country Club, leading at 23-under-par 193. Charlie Hoffman, Justin Lower (both USA), and Jason Day (Australia), who were co-leaders the previous day, are in a chase battle tied for 2nd place at 19-under-par 197, four strokes behind. Patrick Cantlay (tied 5th, 18-under-par 198) and Justin Thomas (both USA) are in 7th place (17-under-par 199).

Last week’s Sony Open winner Nick Taylor (Canada) is tied for 29th place (12-under-par 204). Nick Dunlap (USA), who set a record for the first amateur win in 33 years at this tournament last year and won the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, is tied for 58th (9-under-par 207). Seventeen-year-old ‘prodigy’ Blaze Brown (USA), making his professional debut through this tournament, failed to reduce strokes and finished tied for 91st, missing the 4th round.

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