Corales Puntacana Championship 1R Tied 14th
Brian Leads, Kim Chan and Hoffman Tied 2nd
Kang Sung-hoon 47th, Lee Kyung-hoon and Bae Sang-moon Tied 66th
Kim Seong-hyun showed strength for the first time in a while in the Dominican Republic.
On the 18th (local time), at the Punta Cana Resort & Club (Par 72, 7,670 yards) in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, during the first round of the PGA Tour Corales Punta Cana Championship (total prize money $4 million), he shot 4-under-par 68 to tie for 14th place. He made 5 birdies and 1 bogey. He recorded two pairs of consecutive birdies on holes 3-4 and 7-8. In the back nine, he recovered from a bogey on the 13th hole with a birdie on the 15th hole (both par 4s).
Kim Seong-hyun stood out with a 100% bunker save rate and an average of 1.58 putts per hole when hitting the green. He is 5 strokes behind the leader. This year marks his second season. He has participated in 12 tournaments but has yet to finish in the ‘top 10’. His best result so far is a tie for 14th place at the Valero Texas Open, which ended on the 7th.
The Corales Punta Cana Championship was created for players who are not eligible to participate in the RBC Heritage, a prestigious tournament held during the same period with a total prize money of $20 million. Although the prize money and FedEx Cup ranking points are lower, the winner receives a 2-year tour card, among other benefits. It is a life-changing opportunity for players who have fallen to the lower ranks.
Wesley Bryan (USA) surged to the lead with a 9-under-par 63. He has won only once on the PGA Tour, which was the 2017 RBC Heritage. Kim Chan (USA), a former Japanese money list leader, is tied for 2nd place (6-under-par 66) along with Troy Merritt and Charlie Hoffman (both USA). From Korea, Kang Sung-hoon is tied for 47th place (2-under-par 70), and Lee Kyung-hoon and Bae Sang-moon are tied for 66th place (1-under-par 71).
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