사진 확대 Lim Sung-jae is looking at the ball with a tee shot on the fourth hole in the first round of the BMW Championship in the second round of the PGA Tour PO on the 21st. AFP Yonhap News Agency
Lim Sung-jae has started his last challenge to go to the final Tour Championship of the PGA Tour Playoff (PO). In the first round of the BMW Championship in the second round of the PO, he performed well, but the FedEx Cup ranking fell, signaling a difficult challenge.
Lim Sung-jae recorded a 3-under 67 in the first round of the BMW Championship at Bellerive Country Club (par 70) in St. Louis, Missouri on the 21st (Korea time), tying for 12th, three strokes behind co-leading groups such as Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) and Gary Woodland (USA). Lim Sung-jae, who is aiming to play in the final PO match for eight consecutive years from 2019, played the first round without showing a big gap with the leading group.
Lim Sung-jae, ranked 40th in the FedEx Cup, should perform as well as possible in this tournament. If you rank 30th in the FedEx Cup ranking, which has been added up to the second round of the PO, you will be able to compete in the final PO Tour Championship, which will be held with a total prize money of $40 million (about 55 billion won). Ahead of the tournament, Lim Sung-jae predicted, “I think I will be able to participate in the Tour Championship only if I rank sixth or seventh alone.”
Although he showed his hindsight, Lim Sung-jae fell to 41st place in the FedEx Cup expected ranking. Players in the top 30 to 40 FedEx Cup are in a big battle, with Hisasuneryo (Japan), who was ranked 45th in the FedEx Cup, tied for 6th (5-under 65) on the first day and ranked 40th in the expected rankings, and Michael Thorbiernsen (USA), who was one step below Lim Sung-jae, tied for 8th (4-under 66). From Lim Sung-jae’s point of view, he is expected to play in the Tour Championship only when he achieves a higher championship performance than seventh place.
Kim Joo-hyung, ranked 26th in the FedEx Cup, had six birdies, but wrote four bogeys and two double bogeys, tying for 44th with a two-over 72. If this ranking is maintained, Kim Joo-hyung’s expected ranking at the FedEx Cup is 28th. Kim Si-woo, who is relatively relaxed as he ranked fourth in the FedEx Cup, tied for 32nd with even par 70.
[Reporter Kim Jihan]