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| Photo: Kim Joo-hyung in action [Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images/Reuters=Yonhap] |
[Alpha Economy = Reporter Byungseong Park] Kim Joo-hyung jumped into a share of the lead on the first day of the PGA Tour’s Charles Schwab Challenge (total purse 9.9 million USD (approximately 13.2 billion KRW)), setting the stage for a potential comeback.
On the 29th (local time) at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas (par 70), Kim carded eight birdies and two bogeys for a 6-under 64 in the first round. That score put him atop the leaderboard alongside five others, including J.J. Spaun (U.S.).
Born in 2002, Kim burst onto the scene with three PGA Tour wins in the 2022–23 season but went through a lull afterward. He failed to register a top-10 in his first 10 starts this season, then showed signs of a turnaround earlier this month by tying for sixth at the Myrtle Beach Classic.
At last week’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler praised Kim as “an incredibly talented player,” adding that, compared with when he was 23, Kim is producing remarkable results.
Kim began his round on the 10th hole and picked up steam with three straight birdies starting at the 14th. He then racked up four consecutive birdies beginning on the 18th to further chip away at the field. Play was halted for roughly two hours due to bad weather, but Kim parred the final hole to preserve his share of the lead.
After the round Kim said, “With calm conditions and soft greens, I had a lot of good chances. Working with a new swing coach, I’ve been focused on the fundamentals and have been getting my confidence back.” He added that his aim is not to fixate on results but to keep refining his process and compete consistently at a high level.
The leaderboard remains tightly packed. Twelve players — including Doug Kim (U.S.) — are one stroke back, tied for seventh at 5-under 65. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) and Ludvig Aberg (Sweden) sit tied for 19th at 4-under 66.
Among Korean players, Sungjae Im posted three birdies, one bogey and one double bogey for an even-par 70. Im finished the first round tied for 83rd alongside Rickie Fowler and Tony Finau (both U.S.).
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