6-Under-Par Surge in John Deere Classic Round 1
Three Shots Behind Leader Doug Kim, Who Fired a 9-Under 62
Homa Starts at 8 Under, Sungjae Im Opens With 3 Under
Siwoo Kim is off to a refreshing start.
On July 3 (local time), during the first round of the PGA Tour John Deere Classic (total prize money: $8.4 million) held at TPC Deere Run (par 71, 7,289 yards) in Silvis, Illinois, USA, he carded a 6-under-par 65. He trails leader Doug Kim (USA), who shot a 9-under-par 62, by three strokes. Starting on the 10th hole (par 5), Kim recorded one eagle, six birdies, and two bogeys. His eagle from the bunker on the 17th hole (par 5) and three consecutive birdies on holes 1 through 3 were particularly impressive.
Siwoo Kim is teeing off at the 2nd hole of the 1st round of the John Deere Classic. Silvis, USA - Photo by AFP Yonhap News
Siwoo Kim, who has four career wins on the PGA Tour, has played in 21 tournaments this year and finished in the top 10 twice. His best results were tied for 8th at the RBC Heritage in April and the PGA Championship in May. He is currently ranked 45th in the FedExCup standings. To qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs (PO), he needs to improve his ranking further.
Max Homa posted an 8-under-par 63, while Michael Kim (both USA) shot a 7-under-par 64. Rickie Fowler (USA) finished the first round with the same score as Siwoo Kim. Chris Kirk (USA) carded a 4-under-par 67, and Sungjae Im is aiming to move up the leaderboard with a 3-under-par 68.
The PGA Tour season is approaching its final stretch. After this tournament, the Genesis Scottish Open will be held from July 13, followed by the year's last major, The Open, in Northern Ireland starting July 20. With major events coming up in Europe, many top-ranked players are skipping this week's tournament.
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