Im Sung-jae Jumps to Tied for 2nd in PGA Tour Playoffs Opener Round 2

Im Sung-jae has climbed to a tie for second place after the second round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship (total purse of $20 million), the opening event of the PGA Tour's 2026 season playoffs.

Playing the second round of the tournament on the TPC Southwind (par 70) course in Memphis, Tennessee, on the 15th (Korean time), Im carded four-under-par 66 with six birdies and two bogeys.

After finishing the first round in a tie for sixth at four-under, Im posted a two-round total of eight-under 132, moving up to a tie for second alongside Viktor Hovland of Norway.

Following the conclusion of the regular season last week with the Wyndham Championship, the PGA Tour is holding its playoff opener with the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings.

After this tournament, only the top 50 in the FedEx Cup rankings will advance to next week's second playoff event, the BMW Championship. Meanwhile, only the top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings will reach the Tour Championship, the final playoff event opening on the 27th, to compete for the title.

Im, who needed a strong performance this week to advance to the BMW Championship as he ranked 53rd in the FedEx Cup standings heading into the playoffs, kept his hopes alive by leaping into the top tier.

If Im finishes the tournament at his current ranking, he will rise to 36th in the FedEx Cup standings and comfortably secure his spot in the BMW Championship.

Sitting just three strokes behind world number one Scottie Scheffler of the United States (11-under 129), who surged to the solo lead, Im remains in a strong position to contend for the championship.

He has not won a PGA Tour event since claiming his second victory at the Shriners Children's Open in October 2021, following his win at the Honda Classic in March 2020.

On this day, Im started strong on the front nine, beginning with three consecutive birdies from holes 1 to 3.

On the par-4 6th hole, he landed his second shot about 1.5 meters from the pin to add another birdie, and sank a roughly 5-meter birdie putt on the par-4 9th hole, picking up five birdies solely on the front nine.

After maintaining pars afterward, he recorded his first bogey on the par-4 15th hole and bounced back on the par-4 16th hole, but dropped another shot on the subsequent par-4 17th hole, leaving his finish slightly disappointing.

Scheffler, the world number one who entered the playoffs at number one in the FedEx Cup rankings, fired a blistering nine-under round to jump 16 spots and seize sole possession of the lead.

Scheffler secured one victory at The American Express in January this season and has since finished as the runner-up five times.

Ludvig Åberg of Sweden stood in fourth at seven-under 133, while Tommy Fleetwood of England and Jordan Spieth of the United States reached the halfway point tied for fifth at six-under 134.

Kim Si-woo, who entered the playoffs ranked seventh in the FedEx Cup, shaved two strokes off his score to climb to a tie for 27th at two-under 138, while Kim Joo-hyung, ranked 26th in the FedEx Cup, finished the second round tied for 45th at one-over 141.

World number two Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland shot even par for the day and remained stalled at four-over 144, lingering in a tie for 60th.

McClroy is 12th in the FedEx Cup standings and would remain inside the top 20 even if he finishes the tournament at his current ranking.

(Photo: Getty Images)
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