Lee Kyung-hoon "Surprising 5-Under Start"... 100% Green Hit Rate?

Tied 6th on Day One of the Phoenix Open, Nesmith and Hubbard Lead at 8 Under, McIlroy and Thomas Struggle at 1 Under

Lee Kyung-hoon shot 5 under par on the first day of the Phoenix Open, tying for 6th place.

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-joon] Kyung-hoon Lee (30, CJ Logistics) made a surprising start.

On the 5th (Korean time), at the Scottsdale TPC (par 71, 7,261 yards) in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, the first day of the PGA Tour Waste Management Phoenix Open (total prize money $7.3 million) opened, and he confidently secured a tie for 6th place with a 5-under-par score. Matthew NeSmith and Mark Hubbard are tied for the lead at 8-under-par, while Nate Lashley and Sam Burns (both from the USA) are in a fierce battle for the championship, tied for 3rd place at 7-under-par 64, just one stroke behind.

Lee recorded six birdies and one bogey that day. He opened the scoring early with a birdie on the 10th hole (par 4), the first hole, and added 'stepping stone birdies' on the 13th, 15th, and 17th holes. He finished all three par-5 holes with birdies, including a birdie on the 3rd hole (par 5) in the back nine, increasing his cost-effectiveness. Above all, his 100% greens in regulation with 'computer iron shots' stood out. The 3-putt bogey on the 6th hole (par 4) was unfortunate. Fortunately, he bounced back with a birdie on the 7th hole (par 3).

Lee was the gold medalist in the golf team event at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. He moved to Japan and won two titles: the 2012 Nagashima Shigeo and the 2015 Honma Tour World Cup. In 2016 and 2017, he built a golden tower by winning back-to-back Korean Opens, known as Korea's national title. In 2018, he ranked 5th on the Korn Ferry (second-tier) Tour money list, which qualified him to join the PGA Tour in 2019, where he has maintained his card for two consecutive years, demonstrating his potential.

The 2021 season has been somewhat sluggish, with six cuts out of 12 tournaments and a best finish of tied 19th at the Sony Open. For Lee, this is an opportunity to change the momentum. The second round has become even more important. In Korea, Byung-hoon An (30) is tied for 37th at 2-under-par, Si-woo Kim (26), the American Express champion, is tied for 70th at even par, Sung-jae Im (23) is tied for 86th at 1-over-par, and Sung-hoon Kang (34, all CJ Logistics) is tied for 129th at 6-over-par, following behind.

The frontrunners include Xander Schauffele, who joined the tie for 6th place. World No. 2 Jon Rahm (Spain) is tied for 21st at 3-under-par, while Justin Thomas (USA) and Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) remain tied for 50th at 1-under-par. Thomas made a triple bogey after his second shot landed in the water on the 17th hole (par 4), and McIlroy was hampered by a double bogey on the 10th hole (par 4). Defending champion Webb Simpson (USA) also fell to a tie for 107th at 2-over-par, signaling a red light for his title defense.