Sungjae Im Ties for 7th on First Day of American Express
Ram Ties for 2nd, Byeonghun An and Seungyul Noh Tied for 27th
‘Newlywed’ Im Sung-jae makes a fresh start.
On the 19th (local time), Im Sung-jae shot a 7-under-par round on the first day of the American Express (total prize money $8 million), part of the 2022/2023 PGA Tour season, held at the Nicklaus Tournament Course (par 72, 7,147 yards) in La Quinta, California, USA, to tie for 7th place. The event features a pro-am format where players compete alongside amateur golfers over three different courses in the early rounds: La Quinta Country Club (par 72, 7,060 yards), the Stadium Course (par 72, 7,187 yards), and the Nicklaus Tournament Course. The winner will be decided on the final day back at the Stadium Course.
Im Sung-jae is reading the putting line on the 8th hole on the first day of the American Express. La Quinta=AFP·Yonhap News
Im Sung-jae showcased flawless play with seven birdies and no bogeys. He started with a birdie on the 10th hole (par 4) and added stepping-stone birdies on the 16th and 18th holes to finish the front nine 3-under. On the back nine, he collected four more birdies on holes 2, 4, 6, and 8. His ‘needle-like iron shots’ were outstanding, with a green hit rate of 94.44%. He trails the leader by three strokes, laying the groundwork for his third career win, his first in 1 year and 3 months since the Shriners Children’s Open in October 2021.
Most notably, it is refreshing to see him bounce back from the humiliation of missing the cut at last week’s Sony Open. Im Sung-jae is a ‘taken man’ who married Ms. Kim, one year his senior, on the 17th of last month at the Lotte Hotel World in Jamsil, Songpa-gu, Seoul. The bride is 25 years old this year and a talented graduate of New York University’s music school. Im Sung-jae purchased a home inside the Sugarloaf TPC in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, where he has started his newlywed life.
Davis Thompson (USA) dominated the leaderboard with two eagles and six birdies, posting a 10-under 62. Five players, including Jon Rahm (Spain), winner of the TOC two weeks ago, and Sam Burns (USA), are tied for second place at 8-under 64, engaging in a fierce chase. Xander Schauffele is tied for 7th, while Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Cantlay (both USA) are tied for 42nd at 4-under 68.
Korea’s An Byeong-hun and Noh Seung-yeol are tied for 27th at 5-under 67. Kim Joo-hyung is tied for 64th at 3-under 69. On the other hand, last week’s Sony Open winner Kim Si-woo is tied for 85th at 2-under 70. Kim Sung-hyun is in the same group. Lee Kyeong-hoon is tied for 124th at even par 72, and Kang Sung-hoon struggled, tied for 149th at 3-over 75.
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