Im Sung-jae surges to share of 4th at BMW Championship with 6-under 64

Im Sung-jae climbed into a share of fourth place at the BMW Championship, the second event of the 2026 FedEx Cup Playoffs with a $20 million purse, keeping his hopes of reaching the season finale alive.

Im fired a 6-under 64 on Friday at Bellerive Country Club (par 70, 7,448 yards) in St. Louis, Missouri, moving to 9-under 131 at the halfway mark and joining Chris Gotterup of the United States in a tie for fourth.

Im had opened with a 3-under 67 to share 12th place after the first round, then poured in seven birdies against one bogey to thrust himself into contention. At his current standing, his projected FedEx Cup ranking would be 28th — enough to qualify for the Tour Championship for an eighth consecutive year. To secure his spot in the finale, he needs to finish tied for sixth or better, or outright seventh.

Wyndham Clark of the United States seized the lead with a bogey-free 64, six birdies carrying him to 12-under 128 and a one-stroke advantage over second-place Gary Woodland, also of the United States.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who had shared the lead after the opening round on Friday, managed only a one-stroke improvement and dropped into a tie for eighth at 7-under 133, alongside Collin Morikawa and Russell Henley, both of the United States.

Viktor Hovland of Norway posted the round-of-the-day, a 7-under 63, to move to 6-under 134 and a share of 12th place.

Scottie Scheffler of the United States, the FedEx Cup points leader who had struggled to 2-over on day one, bounced back with a 5-under 65 to reach 3-under 137 and move into a tie for 25th. Scheffler traded two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine before reeling off five birdies on the back.

Kim Si-woo, ranked fourth in the FedEx Cup standings, carded a 1-under 69 to sit at 1-under 139 in a tie for 34th. He made six birdies but offset them with a double bogey on the par-4 fifth hole and back-to-back bogeys on the 17th and 18th.

Kim Joo-hyung, ranked 26th in the FedEx Cup standings, also finished 1-under on the day — five birdies against four bogeys — but sits at 1-over 141 in a tie for 43rd alongside Min Woo Lee of Australia. His projected FedEx Cup ranking at his current position is 29th.