Korea's Im enjoys birdie spree to trail Thomas by one at Genesis Scottish Open

Im Sung-jae, a two-time PGA Tour winner, turned the tide with a superb chip-in birdie from about 25 yards on the second hole which sparked a change in fortunes as he signed for a 7-under 63 in the $9 million showpiece on Thursday.

Korea's Im Sung-jae tees off on the 17th hole during day one of the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club on Thursday in North Berwick, Scotland. [GETTY IMAGES]

Korea’s Im Sung-jae had a bad sense of déjà vu when he dropped an opening bogey in the first round of the Genesis Scottish Open on Thursday.

“This course has been so hard to play over the past two years, so I wasn’t confident,” said Im, who hasn’t broken par in four rounds en route to missed cut appearances in his first two visits to The Renaissance Club.

“The first hole, I bogeyed and thought, it’s as hard as I’ve always remembered it to be.”

Thankfully, Im, a two-time PGA Tour winner, turned the tide with a superb chip-in birdie from about 25 yards on the second hole which sparked a change in fortunes as he signed for a 7-under 63 in the $9 million showpiece co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.

Justin Thomas, a 15-time PGA Tourwinner, seized early control of the tournament with a bogey-free 62, which was his lowest first round score since shooting a 59 en route to winning the 2017 Sony Open in Hawaii.

China’s Li Haotong was amongst those who fired a 64 to share third place on a surprising ideal scoring day while Korea’s An Byeong-hun, who finished tied third here last season, opened with a 65, as did title holder, Rory McIlroy.

The smooth-swinging Im has been in good form following four top-10s since May, and arrived in Scotland on the back of a closing 64 to finish T12 at last week’s John Deere Classic. The Korean star has shot 64 or better in five of his last eight rounds on the PGA Tour.

“The chip-in birdie on the second hole changed the mood,” smiled Im, who is 15th on the FedExCup points list. “Thankfully, there was no wind, so the second shots and putts were not hard to execute. The weather was cooperative. In this tournament, this kind of weather is hard to come by. It definitely helped me play easy.”

It has been nearly three years since the 26-year-old Im last tasted victory on the PGA Tour, although he did win a KPGA event in April. With his good run of form, he is determined to remain in the title race at The Renaissance which has gathered yet another star-studded cast this week.

“I’m in a good position, so hopefully I can play like this again but I will focus on playing my best on each hole, not drop shots and maintain a good score,” said Im.

Li, who is a three-time DP World Tour winner, was once ranked as high as 32nd in the world and also featured in the 2019 Presidents Cup before falling off the radar due to a dip in form. He has shown glimpses of a resurgence, with five top-20s registered early in the year and was tied 20th in Germany last week.

A “soft” bogey on the second hole jolted Li, who is now ranked 479th in the world, into action as he hit eight birdies over his next 14 holes. He dropped a shot on the 18th following an errant drive. “I was just kind of off the fairway a little bit on two and made a soft bogey. Accepted that, and whole day, most of them are pretty close to the pin, creating a lot of birdie chances,” said the 28-year-old Li. “I think off the tee has been really solid, even the last few weeks wasn't that great, but I’m just putting and chipping good.”

An finished strongly with four birdies over his last six holes as he renewed his love affair with The Renaissance where he opened with a course-record tying 61 last year on his way to his third-place finish.

“It was very steady. I missed some birdie chances, but I made plenty of them too and made plenty of par putts,” said An, who is still seeking a first PGA Tour win. “Coming back, it’s a big boost. I really like the links courses as you have to get creative. Last year was the first time I played really well and it gave me confidence coming in, and it showed with those four birdies on the back nine.”

BY CHUAH CHOO CHIANG [kjdsports@joongang.co.kr]