Opening Win Boosts Kim's Presidents Cup Prospects

Austin, Texas, United States: Kim Si-woo, Lucas Herbert and Adam Scott emerged as Asia-Pacific winners on day one of the US$12 million World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play.

Korean Kim posted a hard-fought two-up win over American Daniel Berger, while Australians Herbert and Scott defeated American Tony Finau (4&3) and England’s Justin Rose (two-up) respectively.

But there were losses for Korean Im Sung-jae, Japanese debutant Takumi Kanaya and Australian duo Min Woo Lee and Marc Leishman.

Kim, a three-time PGA Tour winner, raced to a four-up lead through seven holes at Austin Country Club before 17th-seeded Berger won three straight holes around the turn to reduce the deficit to a single hole.

Kim closed out the match with a five-foot birdie to set up an enticing showdown against English Ryder Cup star Tyrrell Hatton, who defeated South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout 3&2 in the other Group 13 match.

“I was four-up on the front nine, so I was trying to finish earlier. But Daniel played well on the back nine. It was tough the last six holes, the pressure and everything. But I managed to hold on and had a good finish. Looking forward to tomorrow,” said Kim, whose best finish was a fourth round appearance here in 2018.

The 26-year-old Kim is expecting a tough match against Hatton as he seeks to stake a claim on the International Team for September’s Presidents Cup. He is presently ranked 14th on the team standings, with the top eight earning automatic places when qualifying concludes in August.

Im headed straight to the practice range after a 5&4 beating at the hands of Ireland’s Seamus Power, who never trailed in their match and rattled in four successive birdies from the 11th to 14th holes to close out the match.

Im next faces Keith Mitchell in a must-win Group 4 match today. Mitchell tied 2021 FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay in an exciting match which leaves the group wide open.

Kanaya, the 2018 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship winner and a former world amateur number one, battled toe-to-toe with seventh seed Xander Schauffele and trailed one-down through nine holes. The American then switched up a gear with three birdies on his inward half to cruise to a 3&2 victory.

Kanaya’s second match is against Finau, who was soundly beaten by Herbert. The Bermuda Championship winner takes on Schauffele.

Lee went down 3&2 to defending champion Billy Horschel of the United States, while Leishman suffered a 4&3 reversal at the hands of American Kevin Kisner.