Siwoo Kim Shoots 5-Under... 'A Strong Start'

Sixth Place in the First Round of the PGA Tour Playoffs
Bhatia Leads, Scheffler in 12th, Im Sungjae in 48th

Siwoo Kim made a strong start at the first event of the PGA Tour playoffs.

On August 7 (local time), at TPC Southwind (par 70, 7,288 yards) in Memphis, Tennessee, Kim carded a 5-under 65 in the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship (total prize money: $20 million), placing him in sixth. After his only bogey at the 7th hole, he bounced back with birdies at the 8th and 10th holes, followed by two pairs of consecutive birdies at the 13th-14th and 16th-17th holes.

Siwoo Kim is teeing off at the 7th hole in the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Memphis=AFP·Yonhap News

Entering the playoffs ranked 46th in the FedEx Cup standings, Kim’s strong performance on the opening day gave him a promising outlook for advancing to the second round, the BMW Championship. If he maintains his current position, he could move into the top 30 in the FedEx Cup rankings, securing a spot in the BMW Championship and keeping his hopes alive for the Tour Championship as well.

The PGA Tour concluded its 2025 regular season with last week's Wyndham Championship and has now begun the three playoff events. The FedEx St. Jude Championship is contested by the top 70 players in the regular season FedEx Cup rankings. After this event, the field is cut to 50 for the second round, the BMW Championship, and only 30 players will advance to the final event, the Tour Championship.

Akshay Bhatia (USA) took the lead with an 8-under 62. Bhatia, who entered the playoffs ranked 45th in the FedEx Cup, could jump as high as fourth place with a win. Tommy Fleetwood is in second at 7-under 63, while Justin Rose and Harry Hall (both from England), and Bud Cauley (USA) are tied for third at 6-under 64. FedEx Cup No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (USA) finished the first round tied for 12th with a 3-under 67. Im Sungjae, ranked 29th in the FedEx Cup, shot a 1-over 71 and is tied for 48th.