Im Sung-jae tees off on the third hole during the final round of the Presidents Cup in Medinah, Illinois, on Sept. 27. AFP-Yonhap
Im Sung-jae opened in a tie for 26th place on the first day of the PGA Tour’s Baycurrent Classic in Japan, an event with an $8 million purse.
Im carded a 2-under 69 with five birdies and three bogeys in the first round at Yokohama Country Club, a par-71 layout in Yokohama, on the 8th. He trails outright leader Jacob Bridgeman of the U.S., who shot an 8-under 63, by six strokes.
The Baycurrent Classic marks the start of a three-tournament Asian swing for Im, who played last month in the Presidents Cup, the team competition between the United States and the International team. He will next play the Asian Tour’s Macao Open and then the Genesis Championship in South Korea the following week.
Starting from the 10th hole, Im traded two birdies for two bogeys on his opening nine and failed to gain any ground. He picked up a stroke each at the first hole, a par 4, the third, a par 3, and the sixth, a par 5, to build momentum on his closing nine. A bogey at the par-3 seventh kept him from climbing further.
Lee Sang-hee, who qualified for the field based on his standing on the Japan Golf Tour Organization money list, finished at 1-over in a tie for 52nd with four birdies and five bogeys.
Bridgeman has won the Genesis Invitational and the Biltmore Championship in the FedEx Cup Fall series this season. He made eight birdies without a bogey to set up a bid for a third win of the year. He leads Jordan Smith of England by one stroke.