Matsuyama and Im Ease Smoothly into Gear

Maryland, United States: Japan's Hideki Matsuyama and Korean Im Sung-jae enjoyed fast starts with five-under 67s at the BMW Championship, sharing seventh place in the penultimate FedEx Cup Play-offs event.

The duo trail co-first round leaders Rory McIlroy, Sam Burns and world number one and defending champion Jon Rahm by three shots at the Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills and remain on track to qualify for next week’s Tour Championship in Atlanta.

As temperatures reached a high of nearly 34 degrees Celsius, Koreans KH Lee and Kim Si-woo, the other Asian golfers remaining in the Play-offs, shot rounds of 69 and 74 respectively to be in danger of being eliminated.

Only the top-30 will advance to the Season Finale at East Lake Golf Club with a chance to win the PGA Tour’s ultimate prize, the FedEx Cup which offers golf’s richest purse of US$15 million to the champion.

Matsuyama, the reigning Masters champion, opened with a bogey but his game soon clicked into gear with five birdies on his outward nine to turn in 32 before adding a sixth birdie on 17.

“I feel like I got off to a pretty good start and hope it continues on,” said the 29-year-old, whose current 16th place ranking on the FedEx Cup should comfortably see him qualify for his eighth successive Tour Championship.

Matsuyama, who became Japan’s first male Major champion in April, lost out this month in a play-off for the Olympic Games bronze medal in Tokyo and in the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational. A six-time PGA Tour winner, Matsuyama won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship twice.

Smooth-swinging Im entered the week in 25th place on the FedEx Cup standings and produced an eagle, four birdies and one bogey to put himself in a good position for a third successive appearance in Atlanta. The highlight of his round was an eagle-two on the fifth when he hit the green with a mighty 330-yard drive and then drained a six-footer.

“I started well and kept my momentum throughout the round. I’m happy with this good start. This is a new course to us but during the practice round, my caddie and I felt we could have good scores here. If I can continue to focus on my game, I think I can play well through the weekend,” said Im, who finished tied 16th in last week’s first Play-offs event, The Northern Trust.

Kim, a three-time Tour winner, pencilled down three birdies against as many bogeys and one double for his 74 while Lee, who broke through for his first win this season, was four-under through 11 holes before signing for a 69. They entered the week in 33rd and 37th position respectively on the FedEx Cup standings.