Im shot a 2-under 69 in the second round of the PGA Tour’s Truist Championship at Quail Hollow Club (par 71) in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 9, carding three birdies and one bogey. His 9-under 133 total put him one stroke ahead of Tommy Fleetwood (8-under 134) for the solo lead.
The backbone of his surge was damage control. After flirting with a nearly 80% greens-in-regulation rate in Round 1, Im’s GIR fell to 66.7% on Friday. He missed more greens, but saved par or better on five of six misses and never allowed a mistake to spiral. His veteran touch kept small errors from becoming costly ones.
He was even stronger on the back nine. Im failed to make a move on the front nine, but shifted momentum with a birdie at No. 10 (par 5). After his second shot found the rough, a precise wedge set up the birdie. A bogey at No. 12 (par 4) briefly stalled him, but he responded with a birdie from the fringe at No. 14 (par 4) and then hit a wedge to about 20 inches (50 cm) at No. 15 (par 5) to shave another stroke.
The chase pack is formidable. Fleetwood sits second at 8-under 134, while Alex Fitzpatrick and Justin Thomas are tied for third at 7-under 135. World No. 2 Rory McIlroy made a late charge with a 4-under round to move to 5-under 137 and into a tie for eighth. Rickie Fowler also surged, firing an 8-under round to join the tie for eighth.
By contrast, Kim Si-woo’s round was up and down. He made five birdies but was undone by two double bogeys and three bogeys, leaving him at 1-over 143 and tied for 43rd.
Back-to-back rounds in the 60s on Quail Hollow’s tough setup and a 9-under total give Im the solo lead. The numbers say he’s in form, and if he carries that steadiness into the final two rounds, he’ll be a strong contender for his first win of the season.
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