Sungjae Im Tied for 9th... Seungyul Noh "Cut Off in Comeback"

American Express Day 3: 3 Under Par, Scheffler and Landry Tied for Lead, Fowler in 3rd Place

Im Sung-jae is reading the putting line on the 2nd hole of the third day at the American Express. La Quinta, California, USA = Getty Images / Photo by Multibits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] The 'Rookie of the Year' Im Sung-jae (22, CJ Logistics) has hit a roadblock in his pursuit of his first victory.

On the 19th (Korean time), at the La Quinta Stadium Golf Club in California, USA (par 72, 7,113 yards), during the third day of the PGA Tour American Express (total prize money $6.7 million), he finished with 3 under par, remaining tied for 9th place (14 under par, 202 strokes). Scottie Scheffler and Andrew Landry (both from the USA) are co-leaders (21 under par, 195 strokes), while world No. 22 Ricky Fowler (USA) is in third place (17 under par, 199 strokes), mounting a late charge.

Im Sung-jae recorded one eagle, five birdies, and four bogeys. He started well with a birdie on the 1st hole (par 4), recovered from a bogey on the 5th hole (par 5) with a birdie on the 7th hole (par 4), and sparked excitement with a chip shot eagle on the 8th hole (par 5). After that, he exchanged three birdies and three bogeys, unable to lower his score further, which was a disappointment. Following his runner-up finish at the Sanderson Farms in September last year and a tie for third at the Zozo Championship in October, this marks his third 'top 10' entry in the 2020 season, which is a solid achievement.

The 23-year-old rookie Scheffler fired a 6-under par round at the Stadium, increasing his chances of winning. This tournament rotates among three different courses: La Quinta (par 72, 7,060 yards), Tournament (par 72, 7,159 yards), and finally returns to the Stadium on the last day to determine the champion, a unique format. From Korea, Lee Kyung-hoon (29, CJ Logistics) is tied for 33rd place (11 under par, 205 strokes). No Seung-yeol (29) tasted the bitterness of missing the cut in his comeback stage after completing military service.