Kim Seong-hyun's Fiery Debut "Did You See the Rookie Power?"... 6-Under Par Excitement with An Byeong-hun's 1st Division Comeback (Summary)

Sung Hyun Kim and Byung-Hun An Tied for 3rd in Round 1 of Fortinet Championship Opening
Lower Leads at 9 Under, Defending Champion Homa 2nd at 7 Under
Sung Kang and Fowler Tied for 6th at 5 Under, Matsuyama Tied for 24th at 3 Under

Kim Sung-hyun is teeing off at the 17th hole on the first day of the Fortinet Championship. Napa, USA - Photo by Getty Images/Multivitz

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Rookie Kim Seong-hyun (24) had a blazing debut.

On the 15th (local time), Kim Seong-hyun shot a 6-under-par 66 on the first day of the Fortinet Championship (total prize money $8 million), the opening event of the 2022-2023 PGA Tour season held at Silverado Resort and Spa (par 72, 7,123 yards) in Napa, California, USA. He is tied for 3rd place along with An Byeong-hoon (31). Justin Lower leads with 9-under-par 63, and defending champion Max Homa (both from the USA) is in 2nd place at 7-under-par 65.

Kim Seong-hyun recorded 8 birdies and 2 bogeys. After three consecutive birdies from holes 3 to 5, he took a brief breather with a bogey on the 6th hole (par 4), then added back-to-back birdies on holes 8 and 9, followed by two more birdies on the 11th hole (par 3) and 14th hole (par 4). A bogey on the 16th hole (par 5) was immediately recovered with a birdie on the 17th hole (par 4), finishing the round on a high note. He powered his round with a ‘needle-like iron shot’ accuracy of 77.78% in greens in regulation and an average of 1.429 ‘stingy putts’ per hole. Positioned tied for 3rd place, three strokes behind the leader, he laid the foundation for a victory.

Kim Seong-hyun is a player who has won two professional titles in Korea and Japan, both majors: the KPGA Championship on the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour in August 2020, and the Japan PGA Championship on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) in July last year. In May, at the JGTO Golf Partner Pro-Am Tournament final day, he drew even more spotlight by shooting ‘12-under-par 58’ with two eagles and eight birdies. He became the second player in JGTO history to achieve this, following Ryo Ishikawa (Japan, August 2016, Dunichi Crowns 4 rounds).

Last season, Kim Seong-hyun played in 22 events on the Korn Ferry Tour (the second-tier tour), finishing no wins but with two runner-ups, one third place, and five top-10 finishes. He ranked 12th on the money list, earning his PGA Tour card for this season. The Korn Ferry Tour grants PGA Tour cards to the top 25 players in the regular season points standings. Kim said, "I feel good finishing with a good score on the first day," adding, "After the birdie on the 3rd hole, I relaxed and was able to focus on my play." He also said, "The tension today was somewhat similar to when I was competing for wins on the Korn Ferry Tour," and emphasized, "Overall, my wedge shots were good," concluding, "My goal is to win on a course setup like this."

Ahn Byung-hoon (right) is discussing hole strategy with his caddie on the 8th hole during the first day of the Fortinet Championship. Napa, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

An Byeong-hoon, who lost his PGA Tour card and was determined to make a comeback on the Korn Ferry Tour, also collected seven birdies (one bogey). Last season, An played 20 events, achieving one win and one runner-up, ranking 13th in points. "Everything was generally fine, so I was able to shoot 6-under-par," said An, adding, "Thanks to my putter, I was able to save about 3 to 4 strokes," and smiled broadly, "I hope my driver works a little better over the remaining three days, and if I maintain my putting feel, I think I can achieve good results."

Korea’s Kang Sung-hoon (35) is also making waves, tied for 6th place at 5-under-par 67. Ricky Fowler (USA) and Nick Taylor (Canada) are also in this group. Strong favorite Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) is tied for 24th at 3-under-par 69. No Seung-yeol (31), who advanced through Monday qualifying, reduced one stroke over 16 holes and is tied for 61st at 1-under-par. Due to bad weather followed by sunset, some players were unable to complete their rounds.