Kim Seong-hyun "Evenpa Catching Breath"... Hughes and Dietrich 'Co-Leaders'

Seonghyun Kim Tied 31st After Round 2 at Sanderson Farms Championship
Straka 3rd, Burns Tied 18th, Byung-Hun An 'Cut Off'

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Rookie Kim Seong-hyun (24, photo) is taking a breather.

On the 30th (local time), Kim Seong-hyun struggled on the second day of the Sanderson Farms Championship (total prize money $7.9 million), the second event of the 2022-2023 PGA Tour season, held at the Country Club of Jackson (par 72, 7,461 yards) in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. He recorded an even par and dropped to a tie for 31st place (4-under 140). Mackenzie Hughes (Canada) and Thomas Detry (Belgium) share the lead at 10-under 134, while Sepp Straka (Austria) is one stroke behind in third place at 9-under 135.

Starting from a tie for 10th place, two strokes behind the leaders, Kim Seong-hyun exchanged two birdies for two bogeys. After a tedious parade of pars, he lost a stroke with a bogey on the 8th hole (par 4). In the back nine, he sparked some momentum with birdies on the 11th and 14th holes (both par 5), but was halted by a bogey on the 16th hole (par 4). Kim Seong-hyun is a rookie who entered the PGA Tour this year after playing on the Korn Ferry Tour last season. Two weeks ago, he finished tied for 36th at the season opener, the Fortinet Championship.

Hughes surged to the top of the leaderboard by collecting nine birdies without a bogey. He is a player who won once at the 2016 RSM Classic. Detry also joined the co-leaders with steady play, lowering his score by five strokes for two consecutive days. Mark Hubbard and Scott Stallings (both USA), and Garrick Higgo (South Africa) are watching for a comeback from a tie for 4th place at 8-under 136.

Defending champion Davis Riley (USA), who was co-leader the previous day, slipped to a tie for 7th place at 7-under 137 after shooting 1-under. Sam Burns (USA) is positioned at a tie for 18th place at 5-under 139. An Byeong-hun (31) recorded four birdies and three bogeys, finishing tied for 84th place at even par 144, missing the cut.