By Rahul Banerji
Sungjae Im of Korea dazzled with a 6-under 64 to charge into contention at the halfway stage of the Tour Championship in Atlanta on Saturday.
The 22-year-old was a shot behind leader Dustin Johnson’s 13-under as they chase the PGA Tour’s ultimate prize, the FedEx Cup.
Im has been patchy since the tour resumed in June but on Saturday, he was in blistering form with seven birdies and one bogey at East Lake Golf Club, the PGA Tour said.
Im started the week six strokes behind Johnson in the staggered scoring tournament based on the FedEx Cup ranking but has gained ground swiftly.
Johnson had a four-foot birdie on the last hole to retain his overnight lead with a second round 70 as he chases a first FedEx Cup title.
Narrow edge
The world no.1 opened at 10-under as the top ranked player on the FedEx Cup ranking with his 11-stroke win at the Northern Trust and a runner-up finish at the BMW Championship, the first two Playoffs events.
Xander Schauffele, the 2017 edition winner, was third two shots behind the leader with a 65 while Justin Thomas, bidding for a second FedEx Cup, was a further stroke back after a 71.
Asia’s other representative in Atlanta, Hideki Matsuyama, carded a second successive 70 for a share of 17th place on 4-under overall, the Tour said.
“I was happy with my shots today,” Im was quoted as saying later.
Consistent play
“I hit a lot of fairways (10 of 14), so it made my approach shots a lot easier. My tee shots were more consistent, so my round felt more stable and I was more at ease.
“That gave me a lot of good looks at birdie, which helped me go low. I’m very happy with how it went out there,” added Im, who had the day’s best card.
“I honestly wasn’t feeling very confident the last few weeks but feel like it’s all coming back to me now. I have a lot of good momentum and hope to keep it going for the next two days.”
Im has impressed on his short time in America.
Solid CV
He was the 2019 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, 2018 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year and 2018 Korn Ferry Tour Rookie of the Year.
Becoming Asia’s first winner of the FedExCup will underline Im’s growing credentials which include a memorable debut at the Presidents Cup last December.
“I haven’t been swinging like I’ve been wanting to the last few weeks,” said Im, winner of the Honda Classic for his first Tour title in March.
“Starting last week though, my swing started to feel a lot better and I was hitting the ball like I was hitting it before the quarantine. That allowed me to play with more freedom and consistency.”
A win on Monday will see Im pocket golf’s richest winner’s purse, a $15 million bonus. It could also help him to finally decide on purchasing a home in the US as he has been living from out of a suitcase so far.
“I’m aware of the $15 million on the line, but I try not to think about it when I play. I know if I play my best the next two days, the opportunity will come.
“It all seems like a dream. Just thinking about it now makes me pretty happy. I would buy a house in the United States and save so that I can live a comfortable life in the future,” said Im.
Hanging on
Johnson was glad to stay atop the leader-board despite some erratic golf.
“I was everywhere today. Obviously, all in all, I managed it pretty well. To shoot even around here not hitting my tee ball very good is a nice score, but I need to drive it better over the weekend.”
Justin Thomas had a bogey finish to drop three shots behind Johnson with two rounds remaining. A win will see him join Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods as the only two-time FedEx Cup champions.
“Through two rounds I’m in a great place,” Thomas said, “so I just need to shrug it off.”
Defending champion McIlroy, who welcomed the arrival of his first child earlier this week, enters the last two rounds five strokes off the pace after a second round 71.
This is the second time the Tour Championship is using the weighted starting strokes system.
Also read: Matsuyama, DJ handle tough stuff to lead BMW Championship
Discover more from Tee Time Tales
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.