Travelers Championship Final Day Strong 4-Under Par Performance
Schauffele Loses in First Playoff Hole with Bunker Bogey
Schauffele’s ‘Winning Par’ Secures 5 Billion Won Prize Jackpot
Kim Joo-hyung missed out on a 'wire-to-wire' victory.
Kim Joo-hyung shows a disappointed expression after failing to save par on the 8th hole of the 4th round at the Travelers Championship. [Cromwell (USA) = AFP·Yonhap News]
On the 23rd (local time), at the TPC River Highlands (par 70, 6,835 yards) in Cromwell, Connecticut, USA, during the final round of the prestigious PGA Tour event, the Travelers Championship (total prize money $20 million), Kim played well by shooting 4 under par. However, he ended up tied with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (USA) at 22 under par 258 strokes and then made a bogey on the first hole of the sudden-death playoff at the 18th hole (par 4), settling for second place. He missed the chance to claim his fourth career win eight months after winning the Shriners Children’s Open last October. This is his best result this year.
Kim Joo-hyung started with a one-stroke lead and recorded five birdies and one bogey. Although he lost a birdie at the 6th hole (par 5) by making a bogey at the 8th hole (par 3), he showed a fierce finishing kick with four birdies on the back nine at holes 10, 13, 15, and 18. Notably, on the 18th hole, his second shot landed 3.14 meters from the hole, giving him a birdie opportunity. Before his putt, some spectators threw foreign substances onto the green, causing a brief interruption. He maintained his composure and, with remarkable focus, sank the birdie putt to force the playoff.
Kim Joo-hyung relied on precise shots, boasting a fairway hit rate of 92.86% (tied 3rd) and a greens in regulation rate of 94.44% (tied 1st). However, his putting was less impressive, with 1.88 putts per hole when on the green (67th place). Although he led for three days, he suffered a come-from-behind defeat but earned $2.16 million (approximately 3 billion KRW) in prize money for second place. Right after the match, he smiled and said, "I have no regrets because I did my best. I will use this as an opportunity to improve."
Scottie Scheffler is walking on the fairway of the 13th hole during the 4th round of the Travelers Championship. [Cromwell, USA=Photo by AFP·Yonhap News]
Scheffler played perfectly, making five birdies to push the match into a playoff, then secured the victory by making par on the 18th hole. This was his sixth win of the season and 12th career win, coming just two weeks after his victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the 9th. He is leading in all categories, including world ranking, wins, prize money, FedEx Cup points, and scoring average. From Korea, Im Sung-jae shot 4 under par to finish tied for 3rd place (20 under par 260 strokes) alongside Tom Hoge (USA). Kim Si-woo finished tied for 31st place (10 under par 270 strokes).
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