Im Sung-jae (28, CJ) found himself tied for 27th place after the opening round of the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour Rocket Mortgage Classic.
On Friday, Im carded a 3-under-par 67 at the Detroit Golf Club (par 70) in Detroit, Michigan. His round included five birdies and two bogeys.
Im’s 27th place position put him six shots behind the leader, Peter Malnati (USA), who fired an impressive 9-under-par 61.
With just two strokes separating Im from the group tied for 6th, which includes Korean-American Michael Kim, he remains in contention for his third top-10 finish of the season, depending on his performance in the upcoming rounds.
Im started strong, birdieing the par-4 10th hole, his first of the day. He then built momentum with back-to-back birdies on the par-4 12th and par-5 14th.
Despite a setback on the par-4 17th, where his tee shot found the right rough leading to a bogey, Im rebounded with birdies on the par-4 3rd and par-3 5th holes.
However, he stumbled on the par-4 7th, missing a 10-foot (approximately 3m) par putt to drop a shot before concluding his first round.
Im’s compatriot, Kim Si-woo (31, CJ), posted a 1-under-par 69, mixing four birdies with three bogeys, placing him in a tie for 69th.
Malnati, in pursuit of his third career victory, showcased exceptional form, carding nine birdies without a single bogey to claim the solo lead.
Rickie Fowler and Ryan Gerard, both from the USA, share second place after shooting 7-under-par 63s, trailing Malnati by two strokes.