Asian Quartet Advance in FedEx Cup Play-Offs

New York, United States: Im Sung-jae enjoyed his best finish at The Northern Trust in a share of 16th place as he led three other Asian stars into the second FedEx Cup Play-offs event, the BMW Championship, which begins on Thursday.

The 24-year-old Korean, who was making his third appearance in the first Play-offs event, closed out the weather-hit week which forced a Monday finish with five birdies against four bogeys at Liberty National Golf Club.

He rose from 30th position to 25th on the FedEx Cup standings following his 14th top-25 finish of the PGA Tour 2020-21 season.

Japan’s reigning Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama settled for a share of 43rd following a 70, which included a double bogey, bogey finish over his closing two holes. He dropped two rungs to 16th place on the FedEx Cup standings.

KH Lee will enter the BMW Championship in 37th place following his tie for 47th finish at Liberty National, while fellow-Korean Kim Si-woo, who missed the half-way cut, is the fourth Asian player advancing in the Play-offs in 33rd position.

American Tony Finau won The Northern Trust, defeating Australian Cameron Smith at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off after both tied on 20-under 264. World number one Jon Rahm finished third. Finau’s long-awaited second PGA Tour victory moves him into pole position on the FedEx Cup standings.

This week, the top-70 players will tee up at Caves Valley Golf Club at Owings Mills, with the subsequent top-30 advancing into the Season Finale, the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Since the FedEx Cup was inaugurated in 2007, no more than two Asians have featured at the same time at the Tour Championship.

Needing a top-10 finish to have any hopes of advancing, Indian Anirban Lahiri ended joint 56th position following a final round which included four birdies and three bogeys. He was making his return to the Play-offs for the first time in three years.

“Not the finish to the season I was looking for, but happy with the effort. Big thank you to my team for riding the highs and lows. Time to rest up and recover. #currypower,” the 34-year-old Indian tweeted on Monday.

Chinese Taipei’s CT Pan missed the weekend cut to bow out of the Play-offs. At least he had the consolation of shooting a hole-in-one at the par-three fourth hole during his second round.