I can't believe that Im Sungjae is on the verge of failing to make the cut, not winning for 3 years in a row
Apr 24, 2025
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Will it be possible for Lim Sung-jae to try for the third consecutive time at the KPGA Tour Woori Finance Championship. There was a situation where we had to worry about missing the cut right away, not three consecutive losses.
Im Sung-jae tied for 105th in the first round match held at Seowon Valley Golf Club in Paju, Gyeonggi Province on the 24th due to his extreme slump of 4 over par. He got three birdies, but he got five bogeys and one double bogey.
Lim Sung-jae is the champion of the event in 2023 and 2024, and has tried to win for three consecutive years. He also expressed tremendous motivation, and the fans' expectations shot up the sky. However, it is unclear whether he will advance to the finals due to his performance on the first day.
Several reasons seem to have worked in combination. It may be difficult to adjust to the time difference because you have to play as soon as you come across from the U.S. after continuing to play in the tournament. In addition, the game course changed from the Ferrum Club to Seowon Valley. It may have been awkward to play at a mountainous golf course for the first time in a long time.
After the first round, Lim Sung-jae said "It was very windy. In addition, the start of the game was not good, with bogeys and double bogeys. Especially when the tee shot went into the rough, the location was not good. "The ball went into a point where it was difficult to put the next shot near the pin."
Lim Sung-jae said of jet lag "I feel like I'm stupid. Rather than being tired, I have to focus on golf, but I feel like I'm floating."
Lim Sung-jae said, `I will try to reduce the number of times at bat for the second round, which is at stake in advancing to the finals. It was the strongest day ever in a domestic competition I played. The second round is played in the morning, so I hope it's less windy. I think it's most important to keep the fairway in the second round."
Meanwhile, Kang Tae-young in the first round took the lead at 6-under par. One eagle, six birdies, and two bogeys. He made his KPGA Tour debut in 2021 as a former member of the national team. The highest record was last year 'Golf Zone-Doray Open' tied for second place.
Kang Tae-young said "Today's putt went really well" and "Actually, I played without much expectation, but maybe because I played without any pressure, it led to a good score"
Kang Tae-young said, `It's a victory without fail. The first goal is to win for the first time this season. It's been five years since he made his debut on the tour, and he hasn't finished in the top 20 Genesis points yet. I think being in the top 20 is a sign of consistency. I want to be in the top 20 this season," he stressed.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
