Kim Joo-hyung (24), who claimed his first PGA Tour victory at the 2022 Wyndham Championship, is once again showcasing strong championship-contending form at this year's tournament.

Kim carded a 7-under-par 63, compiling seven birdies without a single bogey, in the third round of the Wyndham Championship on Friday (local time) at Sedgefield Country Club (par 70) in Greensboro, North Carolina. With a total of 15-under-par 195, Kim moved into solo third place, just one stroke behind co-leaders Michael Brennan (USA) and Beau Hossler (USA).

Birdie March...Four Strokes Saved on Front Nine, Three on Back Nine

Kim's round began with a birdie chance created by his second shot on the 2nd hole (par 4). He then sank a 10.3-meter birdie putt on the 3rd hole (par 3), and picked up further strokes on the 5th hole (par 5) and the 8th hole (par 4) to erase four strokes on the front nine alone.

The momentum did not let up on the back nine. After adding a birdie on the 13th hole (par 4), Kim reeled off consecutive birdies on the 15th hole (par 5) and the 17th hole (par 4) to further elevate his score.

Opportunity to Climb FedExCup Ranking

Currently ranked 34th on the PGA Tour, Kim appears well positioned to comfortably advance to the first round of the playoffs (top 70) and the second round (top 50) with a strong result in the regular-season finale. However, he needs to further improve his ranking to secure a spot in the Tour Championship (top 30).

Kim, who bounced back by winning the Scottish Open last month for his first victory in two years and nine months, has now positioned himself as a strong contender for his second win of the season at this event.

Im Sung-jae Leaps 17 Spots...Aiming for Top 10

Im Sung-jae (28) also posted a 3-under-par round on the day with five birdies and two bogeys. With a total of 8-under-par 202, Im jumped 17 spots from the previous day into a tie for 21st. Sitting just three strokes behind the group tied for 8th (11-under-par), a top-10 challenge remains within reach in the final round.