“It always feels good to participate in this course and tournament with good memories.”

Kim Si-woo 29 hit eight under par for a day, including six consecutive birdies on the first day of the PGA Tour’s The American Express total prize money of $8.4 million, at a special memory spot, setting the stage for a five-win hunt.

At the first round of the championship held at the PGA West Lakinta Country Club par 72 in Lakinta, California on Sunday, Kim garnered nine birdies and blocked one bogey to post an 8-under 64. Notably, he swept birdies in all six holes in the second half to finish the first round in a cheerful mood.

While Jack Johnson USA and Alex Noren Sweden, who shot 10-under 62, tied for the lead, Kim Si-woo entered the championship race by ranking fifth, two strokes behind.

Kim Si-woo has had a special relationship with the golf course where the tournament was held.

Kim first formed a special bond with the golf course in December 2012. Kim, who was a high school student at the time, participated in the PGA Tour qualifying school held at the golf course and became the youngest golfer ever to pass the PGA Tour qualifying school in Korea 17 years, five months and six days. The record has remained unbroken until now.

Having settled in nearby Los Angeles since joining the PGA, Kim has trained at the golf course and adapted to the U.S. course. As he has been training and rounding once or twice a week at the golf course, he has become accustomed to the course.

In 2021, he broke his three-year winning streak at the golf course. Kim Si-woo, who achieved his second career win at the Players Championship in 2017, had no championship for the next three seasons. He could have fallen into a long silence, but he quelled his thirst by winning the championship at the golf course in 2021.

On this day, the game was good enough to remind me of memories.

Starting his game at the 10th hole, Kim garnered birdies at the 11th hole, followed by birdies at the 12th par 3 and the 13th par 5. He was the only one who recorded bogey on the day at the 14th par 4, but was not swayed by much. Since then, he had no birdie during the seven holes, but started with birdie at the fourth par 4 in the second half, and garnered birdies consecutively at the fifth and sixth par 5, the seventh par 3, the eighth par 4 and the ninth par 4. 스포츠토토

“I’m satisfied with today’s result and most of all, I’m really happy to finish all six holes with birdies,” Kim Si-woo said. “I’ve never finished the last six holes with birdies in a row like this in my tour life, but the shot was good and the putt went well,” he said. “It’s always nice to participate in this course and competition with good memories. When I participate in a winning competition, I always feel good and I feel confident that I can play well,” he said. “I’ll continue to play while maintaining this feeling for the remaining three days.”

This year’s event will take place at three Nicklaus Tournament Course NT and Pitt Die Stadium Course SC including LQinta Country Club, before playing at the stadium course in the last four rounds to determine the winner. Cutoffs are played once in three courses and are advanced to the finals by tying for 65th.

Lee Kyung-hoon 33, who played at the Rakinta course, also got off to a fresh start by shooting 7-under 65, while Kim Sung-hyun 26, who played at the Pitt-Die Stadium course, recorded 4-under 68. Kim Joo-hyung 23 finished the first round with 3-under 69.