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Kim Joo-hyung signaled a potential return to form by co-leading the first round of the PGA Tour’s Charles Schwab Challenge (purse: $9.9 million (approximately 13.2 billion KRW)).
On May 28 (local time) at Colonial Country Club (par 70) in Fort Worth, Texas, Kim fired eight birdies and two bogeys for a 6-under 64 in round one.
That score left Kim tied atop the leaderboard with five others, including J.J. Spaun (U.S.).
Kim, born in 2002, collected three PGA Tour wins across 2022 and 2023 and was touted as a rising star, but his results dipped afterward. He had not recorded a top-10 in his first 10 starts this season.
Still, he posted his first top-10 of the year with a tie for sixth at the Myrtle Beach Classic earlier this month and carried that momentum into Wednesday’s opening round.
After starting on the 10th tee, Kim caught fire with three straight birdies beginning at the par-4 14th. He then strung together four more consecutive birdies starting at the par-4 18th, rocketing up the leaderboard.
He wavered briefly on the back nine with bogeys at the par-4 5th and par-4 7th, but play resumed after an approximately two-hour weather delay and he closed with a par at the par-4 9th to finish strong.
“With no wind and soft greens, I was able to play well,” Kim said after the round. “I created a lot of opportunities from good positions and took advantage of them, which led to this result.”
Kim, who has been working with a new swing coach, said he’s trying to keep the elements of his swing that worked while fine-tuning smaller details. “I haven’t overhauled the swing, but the small adjustments have improved my shots and given me more confidence,” he said. He added that he’s focused on translating what he practices into his play rather than chasing immediate results, and he believes maintaining that process will keep his game at a high level.
A 12-player group, including Doug Kim (U.S.), sat one stroke back, tied for seventh at 5-under 65, setting up a tight battle for the lead. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) and Ludvig Åberg (Sweden) were tied for 19th at 4-under 66.
Meanwhile, Sungjae Im posted an even-par 70 — three birdies, one bogey and a double bogey — and finished the first round tied for 83rd alongside Rickie Fowler and Tony Finau (both U.S.).
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