The Korean Brothers, who are active on the PGA Tour, started fresh on the first day of the World Golf Championship (WGC) Dell Match Play (total prize money of 20 million dollars).
Lim Seong-jae (25) won a huge victory over Maverick McNealy (USA) by 8 holes, and Kim Si-woo also won a comfortable 4-hole victory over Chris Kirk (USA). Kim Joo-hyeong (21), who participated in the match play for the first time, also won by two holes against Alex Noren (Sweden).
On the first day of the tournament held at Austin Country Club in Austin, Texas, on the 23rd, Kim Joo-hyung won against Noren by two holes in the 17th hole in the first game of the group stage, earning one point. Kim Joo-hyung was placed in Group 1 along with world number one Scotty Scheffler (USA), Noren, and Davis Riley (USA). In this tournament, the top 64 players in the world rankings are divided into 16 groups of 4 players each, and after a group stage, the first place in each group advances to the round of 16 tournament.
Kim Joo-hyung caught three consecutive birdies in holes 5 to 7, took a two-hole lead, and kept the victory with a tight game. World No. 1 Schaeffler, the winner of this tournament last year, showed a difficult shot on the day and had a close match with Riley, but took 1 point with a victory by one hole. The player who won the biggest victory on the day was Lim Seong-jae of Group 16. Lim Seong-jae, who gained momentum from the beginning, decided the game early by leading by 8 holes up to the 12th hole.
Group 8’s Kim Si-woo also raised a point against Kirk by leading by 4 holes on the 15th hole. Siwoo Kim has the experience of reaching the round of 16 in this tournament in 2018. Group 4 Lee Kyung-hoon lost to Brian Harman (USA) by 3 holes.
Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland),메이저놀이터 who has won this tournament, defeated Scott Sterlings (USA) by 3 holes in Group 3. Rickie Fowler (USA) showed off her spirit by winning by 2 holes against world number 2 Jon Rahm (Spain).