Siwoo Kim "Fresh Start with 1 Under Par"... Rose Leads with 7 Under Par

Spieth Tied 8th on Masters Opening Day, Defending Champ Johnson Tied 31st, McIlroy Tied 60th, Seongjae Im Tied 72nd 'Struggling'

Kim Si-woo is teeing off at the 4th hole on the first day of the Masters. Augusta, Georgia, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] ‘American Express Champ’ Kim Si-woo (26, CJ Logistics) has made a refreshing start.

On the 9th (Korean time), at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA (par 72, 7,475 yards), Kim posted a 1-under par on the first day of the ‘Masters’, sharing 8th place with Jordan Spieth (USA). Justin Rose (England) surged to the top with 7-under par, while Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) and Brian Harman tied for 2nd place (3-under par 69), and Patrick Reed (USA) among four players tied for 4th place (2-under par 70).

Kim Si-woo recorded five birdies and four bogeys. After consecutive birdies on holes 2 and 3, he took a breather with a bogey on the 4th hole (par 3), then made a birdie on the 7th hole (par 4) to reduce two strokes in the front nine. In the back nine, at the ‘Amen Corner’ (holes 11-13), he showed resilience by following a bogey with consecutive birdies. Unfortunately, consecutive bogeys on holes 15 and 16 were disappointing. His average driving distance was 291 yards, hitting the fairway four times and missing the green five times.

Above all, his ‘stingy putting’ stood out with an average of 1.67 putts per hole. He is six strokes behind the leader, in a position to aim for his first major victory. Kim Si-woo won his first PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship in August 2015. The highlight was his 2017 victory at The Players Championship, known as the ‘fifth major’. After a downhill period, he earned his third career win in January at the American Express after 3 years and 8 months.

This is his fifth Masters appearance. His best finish was tied for 21st in 2019. “The course conditions are very different from last year,” he said. “If the greens were relatively soft last year, this year they are very firm and faster.” Kim, who likes fast greens, added, “Finishing the first nine holes well seems to have led to today’s good result,” and explained, “I maintained a mindset to stay calm and do my best on every hole.”

Justin Rose shakes hands with his caddie after shooting 7 under par on the first day of the Masters to finish in the lead. Augusta, Georgia, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Getty Images

Rose dominated the leaderboard with one eagle and seven birdies (two bogeys). Leading by four strokes, this is his second major win and 11th career victory since winning the 2013 US Open. Jon Rahm (Spain), who became a father just before the tournament and is ranked number 3, is tied for 13th place (even par 72). On the other hand, number 1 Dustin Johnson (USA) is struggling at tied 31st place (2-over par 74), suffering a double bogey on the final 18th hole (par 4).

Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), aiming for his second consecutive win for the first time in 19 years since Tiger Woods (USA) in 2002, and the sixth player in golf history to complete the ‘career Grand Slam’, made two birdies but six bogeys. He is tied for 60th place (4-over par 76) and facing a tough path. ‘The Hulk’ Bryson DeChambeau (USA) is in the same group. Last year’s runner-up Im Sung-jae (23, CJ Logistics) collapsed with a quadruple bogey on the 15th hole (par 5), tied for 72nd place (5-over par 77).