'Number 1' Scheffler Leads at 4 Under Par "Hunting for 5 Wins Again"... Im Sung-jae Even Par "No Aftereffects from COVID-19"

On the First Day of the Charles Schwab Challenge, Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed Join as Co-Leaders in a 'Tight Race'; Major Champion Thomas Tied for 57th at +1, Marching Toward a Second Consecutive Win

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is attempting an iron shot on the 14th hole on the first day of the Charles Schwab Challenge. Fort Worth, USA = Getty Images / Multivitz

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has started his ‘hunt for 5 wins’ again.

On the 27th (Korean time), at the Colonial Golf Club (par 70, 7,209 yards) near Fort Worth, Texas, USA, Scheffler shot 4-under par on the first day of the PGA Tour Charles Schwab Challenge (total prize money $8.4 million) and immediately took the top spot on the leaderboard. A total of eight players, including Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed (both from the USA), joined him in a tie for first place, creating a tight competition. From Korea, ‘Shriners Champ’ Im Sung-jae (24) and ‘AT&T back-to-back winner’ Lee Kyoung-hoon (31, CJ Logistics) are tied for 43rd place at even par.

Scheffler has swept 4 wins in his last 9 tournaments, including his first major, the Masters, dominating not only in wins but also in all personal titles such as world ranking (9.66 points), prize money ($10.3 million), and FedEx Cup points (2,842 points). It was surprising that he missed the cut at the second major, the PGA Championship, which ended on the 23rd. His iron shots faltered, making the two days a thorny path, and the great record of ‘back-to-back major wins’ vanished in vain.

On this day, he made 4 birdies. Starting at the 10th hole (par 4), he opened the scoring with a birdie at the 14th hole (par 3), then accelerated with consecutive birdies on the 17th and 18th holes. He also activated his ‘computer iron shots’ with a maximum drive of 378 yards and a green hit rate of 83.33%. Above all, his scrambling ability (100.00%), scoring par or better even after missing the green, stood out. His bunker shot performance, placing the ball close to the hole from the greenside bunker, was spectacular. He added a birdie at the final 7th hole (par 4).

Im Sung-jae is teeing off at the 6th hole on the first day of the Charles Schwab Challenge. Fort Worth, USA = Getty Images / Photo by Multibits

Defending champion Jason Kokrak and last year’s runner-up Jordan Spieth (both from the USA) are in a lull. They both remain tied for 26th place at 1-under par. Domestic fans are glad that Im Sung-jae has overcome COVID-19. Earlier this month, he returned to Korea for the first time in 2 years and 7 months to participate in the Korean Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour Woori Financial Championship but was sidelined by COVID-19, and after self-quarantine, even his participation in the PGA Championship was canceled.

Lee Kyoung-hoon recorded 5 birdies, 2 bogeys, and 1 double bogey. He started strong with 3 consecutive birdies from holes 1 to 3 but suffered a critical blow with a triple bogey at the 5th hole (par 4). His tee shot flew into the woods, resulting in a one-stroke penalty and ultimately a ‘5 on 2 putts’. Major champion Justin Thomas is tied for 57th place at 1-over par, showing that ‘back-to-back wins in 2 weeks’ is not easy. Zaleratoris (USA), who lost in a playoff at the PGA Championship, is aiming for revenge from a tie for 80th place at 2-over par.