Im Sung-jae watches his tee shot on the ninth hole. [AFP]
Im Sung-jae watches his tee shot on the ninth hole. [AFP]

Im Sung-jae opened the FedEx Cup Playoffs in a share of sixth place after the first round Friday.

Im carded seven birdies against three bogeys for a 4-under-par 66 at TPC Southwind (par 70, 7,288 yards) in Memphis, Tennessee, in the opening round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship, leaving him one stroke off the lead in a tie for sixth alongside Matsuyama Hideki of Japan, Adam Scott of Australia, Tommy Fleetwood of England and Gary Woodland of the United States.

Korean American Michael Kim fired a 5-under 65 — six birdies, one bogey — to share the lead with Jordan Spieth, Jake Knapp, Kurt Kitayama and Michael Thorbjornsen, all of the United States.

Im got off to a fast start with a birdie on the third hole, then added consecutive birdies on Nos. 5 and 6. A bogey on the par-3 eighth sent him to the turn at 2 under. He traded birdies and bogeys on Nos. 10, 11, 14 and 15, treading water through the middle of the round. Im then found another gear down the stretch: he stuck a bunker shot to within a meter on the par-5 16th to make birdie, and drained a testing 6-meter putt for birdie on the par-4 17th.

Im currently sits 53rd in the FedEx Cup standings. To reach the season-ending Tour Championship, he must climb into the top 30 by the end of next week's BMW Championship, the second playoff event. His projected FedEx Cup ranking after Friday's opening round is 45th.

Im has qualified for the Tour Championship in each of the past seven years, dating to 2019 — a streak he counts as his proudest achievement. The top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings after this week's event will advance to the BMW Championship, and the top 30 after that will earn spots in the Tour Championship, which opens Aug. 27.

Kim Joo-hyung, ranked 26th in the FedEx Cup standings, opened with a 1-under 69 to sit in a tie for 26th. Kim Si-woo, ranked seventh, is tied for 37th after an even-par round that included an eagle and two birdies but also two bogeys and a double bogey.

FedEx Cup points leader Scottie Scheffler of the United States is tied for 17th after a 2-under 68. His chief rival, Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, struggled to a 4-over 74 and sits 68th — near the bottom of the 69-player field.


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