Tied for Third in the First Round of the PGA Tour Season Opener, Sony Open
Flawless Performance with Seven Birdies and Impeccable Bunker Shots
Taylor and Roy Share the Lead, Lee Seungtaek Tied for 41st
Kim Sunghyun is off to a refreshing start.
On January 15 (local time), at the Waialae Country Club (par 70, 7,044 yards) in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, Kim Sunghyun shot a 7-under-par 63 in the first round of the Sony Open, the opening event of the PGA Tour (total prize money: 9.1 million dollars), placing him in a tie for third. Nick Taylor (Canada) and Kevin Roy are tied for the lead at 8-under-par 62, while Ben Griffin (USA) and others are also tied for third.
Kim Sunghyun is teeing off at the 17th hole during the first round of the Sony Open. Honolulu, USA ? Photo by AFP Yonhap News
Kim Sunghyun delivered a flawless performance, carding seven birdies without a single bogey. He got off to a good start with birdies on the 1st and 3rd holes. After adding two more birdies on the 9th and 12th holes, he finished strong with three consecutive birdies from the 16th to the 18th holes. He is just one shot behind the leaders, putting him in contention for his first career victory. His bunker save rate and scrambling ability were both 100% (tied for first), and his average putts per green in regulation was 1.64 (tied for 20th).
Lee Seungtaek, nicknamed "The Brown Bear," made his PGA Tour debut, recording five birdies and three bogeys for a 2-under-par 68, placing him in a tie for 41st. Kim Joohyung finished the first round with four birdies and three bogeys, ending in a tie for 59th at 1-under-par 69. Kim Siwoo, the 2023 champion of this tournament, struggled early with a 4-over-par on the first eight holes but showed resilience by carding five birdies on the remaining holes, also finishing tied for 59th.
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