Tied for 10th, Two Shots Behind the Lead After Round 1 of The Open
Five Players, Including Li Haotong and Matt Fitzpatrick, Share the Lead
Scottie Scheffler in 6th, Rory McIlroy 20th, Im Sungjae 32nd
Kim Juhyung made a refreshing start.
On July 17 (local time), at Royal Portrush Golf Club (par 71) in Portrush, Northern Ireland, where the 153rd Open Championship?the final major tournament of the year with a total prize fund of $17 million?teed off, Kim shot a 2-under-par 69 in the first round, placing him in a tie for 10th. Five players, including Li Haotong (China), Matt Fitzpatrick (England), and Harris English (United States), are sharing the lead at 4-under-par 67.
Kim Juhyung is putting on the 8th hole of the 1st round at The Open. Portrush, Northern Ireland - Photo by Reuters
Kim carded six birdies and four bogeys. Over 14 holes, he traded four birdies for four bogeys, struggling to lower his score. However, with consecutive birdies on the 15th and 17th holes, he joined the competition for the title. He is two strokes behind the leaders, which keeps him well within reach of a comeback.
Kim, who has three career wins on the PGA Tour, has been working on his swing this year. Although he has yet to claim a victory this season, his recent form has been solid. He made the cut in three out of five events and finished tied for 17th at last week's Genesis Scottish Open.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (United States) is in a tie for 6th at 3-under-par 68, just one shot behind the leaders. Tyrrell Hatton, Lee Westwood (both from England), and Rickie Fowler (United States) are also in this group. World No. 2 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), who has completed the career Grand Slam, sits tied for 20th at 1-under-par 70.
Im Sungjae finished the first round tied for 32nd (even-par 71), Song Younghan tied for 70th (2-over-par 73), Kim Siwoo tied for 97th (3-over-par 74), An Byeonghun tied for 128th (6-over-par 77), and Choi Kyungju tied for 154th (10-over-par 81).
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