At the CJ Cup, McIlroy and Tom Kim put on a show; both are one off the lead.

In the CJ Cup on Thursday, Tom Kim felt more like a spectator than a participant as he marveled at Rory McIlroy's ability to generate such power with such little effort. Kim's performance wasn't too horrible.

One was vying for the No. 1 spot in the world, while the other, a 20-year-old who is swiftly rising to the top among his peers, were the main draws on a gorgeous morning at Congaree Golf Club.

Kim, who won in Las Vegas two weeks ago to become the first player since Tiger Woods to win two PGA Tour championships before turning 21, said, "He makes this game look so easy." "Seeing the lines he chose to take, it was incredibly difficult to sometimes just kind of play my own game. He was yelling, "Sit!" with about 380 yards to the runout. "Really? Like sit?" I asked. He came close, though.

McIlroy was also astounded, particularly by how skilled Kim is for someone her age. On the 366-yard 15th hole, which has sand and water down the right side of the green, he truly displayed his driving skill. Even as the group ahead was putting, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas hit their drives barely onto the front of the green.

McIlroy was off to a solid start with a bogey-free round, and he needs to win to move up to No. 1 in the world for the ninth time in his career.

Kim was one better, hitting pins with his excellent iron play and not getting as much with his putter as he would have wanted. Before dragging his tee shot on the 18th hole, forcing himself to play short of the water, and missing an 8-foot par putt, he was tied for the lead.

Mcllroy stated, “He's a very, very solid player, plays to his strengths. Makes the same swing at it pretty much every time. He was sort of picking my brain a little bit out there about speed training and I'm like, ‘No, no, no, no.’ I think as he gets older and maybe a touch stronger, he'll get that naturally.

“I was like, ‘Don’t go down that path, you're good the way you are.'”

In the 78-man field, it was a good day for a lot of people. Not everyone, though.

Scottie Scheffler, who has been attempting to hold 메이저사이트 off Rory McIlroy as the No. 1 player since late March, swapped putters but didn't have much to show for it with two birdies and two bogeys for a score of 71.

In a round that contained a triple bogey and a putt that he missed by 16 inches, Jordan Spieth shot 75. Additionally, Fowler, who entered the fourth hole of the round in Japan with a 54-hole lead, quickly lost it after four-putting from 20 feet. He scored 74.