Im Sung-jae 6 off opening-round lead at Masters

The 2020 runner-up Im Sung-jae finds himself six strokes off the opening-round lead at the Masters after a solid round, while a couple of his compatriots failed to break par.

Im shot a one-under 71 to tie for 11th place to begin the first major tournament of the season at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on Thursday (local time).

Im went out in 37 with a bogey on the fifth, and then came home in 34 with three birdies and a bogey. Im’s runner-up showing five years ago remains the best performance by a South Korean player at the Masters.

Im said afterward he put together a steady round to begin the big tournament.

“I made a couple of mistakes off the tee but still saved pars. I hit my irons better than I’d expected,” Im told South Korean reporters. “I played the shots I wanted and controlled the distance really well. On the second nine in particular, I gave myself many birdie opportunities.”

Im said he stayed patient during his birdie-less stretch over the first nine holes.

“I thought I’d be happy to shoot an even par today,” Im added. “Then I was able to build some positive momentum with the birdie on the difficult 10th hole. I think I will need just as much patience tomorrow.”

Im is one of 16 players tied at one-under par, a group that includes former champions Fred Couples, Patrick Reed and Bubba Watson.

They are all looking up at the sole leader, Justin Rose of England, who fired a seven-under 65 with eight birdies and a bogey. Rose leads a trio of players by three strokes, including the defending champion Scottie Scheffler.

The two other South Koreans in action were further back of early contention.

Tom Kim carded a 73 without a birdie on his scorecard. He had three bogeys and made an eagle on the par-5 13th.

Kim caught a break on that hole when his second shot with a 4 iron cleared the water in front of the green and set up an eagle opportunity.

“I didn’t have a great score early on, but I wasn’t playing that bad,” Kim told South Korean reporters afterward. “At Augusta, you can easily make bogeys if you’re not careful. I tried to stay patient and learned a great deal. And that’s probably why I ended up receiving that gift of an eagle.”

Kim said he had not played on such hard and fast greens in his two previous Masters appearances.

“I was accustomed to softer greens the last two years because it had rained so much then,” Kim said. “Greens are so hard and fast this year. I realized, ‘This is the Masters.’ I know I have to put the ball in the right spots on greens.”

An Byeong-hun had a much more adventurous day, with four birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey en route to a two-over 74.

“I didn’t make a ton of mistakes, but I just put the ball in difficult spots,” An said. “I didn’t have luck on my side, but at least I was able to finish at two-over, instead of four-over. You can’t afford to be too aggressive here, but at the same time, if you play it too safe, you won’t get the opportunities. You have to strike the right balance.”