Lee Kyung-hoon - Koerners, QBE Shootout Day 1 'Tied 2nd at 14 Under Par'

Hoffman-Palmer Lead by 2 Shots, Favorites Homa-Kisner Tied for 2nd
English-Kuchar, Korda-McCarthy, Thompson-McNealy Tied for 4th Start

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Lee Kyung-hoon (photo), the two-time consecutive champion of the AT&T Byron Nelson, is in high spirits.

Lee Kyung-hoon and Corey Conners (Canada) posted a 14-under 58 on the first day of the PGA Tour’s two-man team event, the QBE Shootout (total prize money $3.8 million), held on the 9th (local time) at Tiburon Golf Club (par 72, 7,382 yards) in Naples, Florida, USA, placing them tied for 2nd. Charlie Hoffman and Ryan Palmer (both USA) topped the leaderboard with 16-under 56.

This tournament features a scramble format in round 1 (both players tee off and then play from the better ball position), a modified foursomes format in round 2 (both players tee off, then alternate shots from the second shot onward), and a four-ball format in round 3 (each player plays their own ball and the better score counts for the hole). This year, 12 teams with 24 players participated. Defending champions Kevin Na and Jason Kokrak (both USA) did not participate as they moved to LIV Golf.

Lee Kyung-hoon and Conners recorded one eagle and twelve birdies. They started strong with four consecutive birdies from holes 1 to 4, followed by two pairs of back-to-back birdies at holes 6-7 and 9-10. They added three consecutive birdies from holes 13 to 15, an eagle on hole 17 (par 4), and a birdie on the final hole 18 (par 4) to finish the round on a high note. They are two strokes behind the leaders, making a strong case for the title.

Strong contenders Max Homa and Kevin Kisner are tied for 2nd place. Three-time champions Harris English and Matt Kuchar (2013, 2016, 2020) are tied for 4th at 12-under 60. World No. 2 female golfer Nelly Korda teamed up with Denny McCarthy to also finish tied for 4th. World No. 7 female golfer Lexi Thompson joined this group playing alongside Maverick McNealy (both USA).