South Korea’s Im Sung-Jae past the first round at Masters.
Im Sung-Jae of South Korea blew past the field in the opening round of the Masters on Thursday, continuing his quest for a first major victory.
The 24-year-old shot a five-under-par 67, which included five birdies (including three in a row to open the round), two bogeys, and an eagle on the par-five 13th hole. He led Australian Cameron Smith by one stroke at the end of the day.
Im, who tied for second in his Master’s debut in 2020, told reporters that he was keen on maintaining Thursday’s momentum.
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“It was fantastic to have a strong showing at my Master’s debut, and as a result, I feel at ease when I visit Augusta. Every time I come here, I feel like I can play well “Im won the Shriners Children’s Open in October, his second PGA Tour victory.
“I prepare the same way for each event, but I felt that my driving game wasn’t as strong as it used to be, so I worked on it, and today having excellent tee shots was the key to a great round.”
Im battled briefly with bogeys on 10 and 11 as he headed into the back nine at four-under-par.
On 13, he recovered to hit a 260-yard (238-meter) drive towards the center of the fairway, then hit his second shot onto the green 12 feet (3.7 meters) from the pin before sinking the eagle putt.
“The key to today’s successful round was getting off to a fast start. I birdied the opening three holes, which helped me get into a solid swing “Im was in a group with Marc Leishman of Australia and Webb Simpson of the United States.
Eric is a professional news editor, writer, and blogger for the last 10 years. He is working with NewsGater as an off-beat news editor cum writer.