Sungjae Im showed his class for the second straight day at the SJM Macao Open after shooting a seven-under-par 63 today to take a three-shot lead.
Related: Zhou Yanhan steps up beyond his years in Macao Open
Having carded a 64 here yesterday at Macau Golf & Country Club he has moved to 13-under – thanks to 13 birdies and, impressively, not a single dropped shot.
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Chinese-Taipei’s Wang Wei-hsuan, beaten in a sudden-death play-off here last year, matched Im’s round with a 63 and is in joint second place along with American Austin Truslow, in with a 64.
Lee Chieh-po from Chinese-Taipei and China’s Wu Ashun are next best placed in a tie for fourth, two shots further back. Lee carded a 66 and Wu a 67.
Korea’s Im – a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, where he has been playing for the last eight years – is yet to win an Asian Tour event but will have one of his best opportunities to do so this weekend.
Said the 28-year-old: “I’ve shot two low rounds, six under yesterday and seven under today. Bogey-free rounds for two days, so I’m very happy with how I’m playing.”
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For the second straight day great weather prevailed, tempered only by some wind.
“The wind for the next days is going to be really important factor for me,” said Im. “If the wind is blowing or pretty strong, I’ll play safer. And if it’s not blowing as hard, I’ll try to attack a bit more, play more aggressive.”
He started on the back nine and made birdies on 11, 12, 15 and the last, before further gains on four, six and seven.
A member of The International Team at last month’s Presidents Cup, he is in pursuit of his first win since claiming the Woori Financial Group Championship on the Korean PGA Tour in 2024.
His two titles on the PGA Tour came at The Honda Classic in 2020, and the Shriners Children’s Open the following year.
Wang lost to Germany’s Dominic Foos on the second extra hole last year and is well placed for another run at the title this weekend.
“Today was obviously a pretty good round, I mean I was bogey free today,” said Wang.
“This week my driver felt pretty good, and I enjoy coming out to this course every time. And yeah, also my second shots were pretty smooth. My putting felt better than yesterday, so yeah, that’s why I shot a lower score.”
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The 27-year-old has been one of the breakout stars on the Asian Tour over the past few seasons. He also tied for second in last year’s Yeangder TPC and was third in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters shortly before just missing out in Macau. He tied for fourth in the Yeangder event last month so has once again arrived here on point.
Truslow started his round on 10 and closed out the nine in style by making an eagle on the par-five 18th, where he drained a brilliant 35-footer. He also made up grand at the end of the second nine with birdies on seven and nine. He was also bogey free today.
He said: “You know, I’ve kind of learned how to feel more comfortable on this course, it’s not a course that suits my eye very much. Didn’t grow up playing a lot of mountain golf, like not that this is a mountain course, but it kind of feels like it. I’ve played more so since I moved to Alabama of kind of hilly golf, so it feels a little bit more familiar.”
Zhou Yanhan, China’s 18-year-old star, fired a 70 to finish the day in a tie for 14th on six under. He had shared the first-round lead with Im and Australian Will Florimo.
