Kim Juhyung's Smooth Sailing "Chasing 5th Place with a 4-Stroke Gap"

New Year's 'King of Kings' TOC Day 2 4 Under Par
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Kim Joo-hyung is teeing off on the 3rd hole on the second day of the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Hawaii=AFP·Yonhap News

‘PGA star attraction’ Kim Joo-hyung is sailing smoothly.

On the 6th (local time), Kim Joo-hyung shot 4 under par on the second day of the Sentry Tournament of Champions (TOC, total prize money $15 million), the first tournament of the 2022/2023 PGA Tour season, held at Kapalua Plantation Course (par 73, 7,596 yards) on Maui Island, Hawaii, USA, to sit in 5th place (12 under par, 134 strokes). This is a ‘champion of champions’ event featuring only 39 world-class players including last season’s winners.

Starting from 4th place, just one stroke behind, Kim recorded six birdies and two bogeys. After a birdie on the 2nd hole (par 3) was canceled out by a bogey on the 3rd hole (par 4), he made birdies on the 5th and 9th holes. In the back nine, after a birdie on the 12th hole was offset by a bogey on the 13th hole (both par 4), he added two more birdies on the 15th and 18th holes. He is four strokes behind the leader, still with a chance for his second win of the season and third overall, three months after his victory at the Shriners Children’s Open last October.

Colin Morikawa (USA) surged with a 7-under round to maintain the top of the leaderboard for the second consecutive day (16 under par, 130 strokes). World No. 2 Scottie Scheffler and J.J. Spaun are tied for 2nd place (14 under par, 132 strokes), 2016 champion Jordan Spieth (all USA) is 4th (13 under par, 133 strokes), and Jon Rahm (Spain) is 6th (11 under par, 135 strokes). Two-time champion Justin Thomas (USA), winner in 2017 and 2020, struggled in a tie for 27th place (6 under par, 140 strokes).

From Korea, Lee Kyung-hoon improved by four strokes to climb to a tie for 12th place (9 under par, 137 strokes). Im Sung-jae, who performed well with a tie for 5th in 2021 and a tie for 8th last year, recorded four birdies and three bogeys, placing him in a tie for 18th (8 under par, 138 strokes). Meanwhile, Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele (USA) withdrew during the second round due to a back injury. According to the Associated Press, "Although Schauffele withdrew, he is expected to receive the $200,000 prize money (about 250 million KRW) awarded to the last place, 39th."