CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, May 9, 2026, 13:08 (EDT)
Sungjae Im held onto a slim advantage heading into Saturday at the Truist Championship, after storms pushed the third round’s start back by an hour and 15 minutes at Quail Hollow Club. His tee time with Tommy Fleetwood was rescheduled to 3:05 p.m. EDT. Im stood at 9-under 133, just ahead of Fleetwood at 8 under.
Timing is key here. The $20 million PGA Tour signature event—no cuts, limited field—lands right before next week’s PGA Championship. The board’s getting tight, with Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy, and Justin Thomas all in striking distance.
Im carded a 2-under 69 Friday, stringing together three birdies on the back nine to edge ahead following his opening 64. Matt McCarty, who led after round one, faltered to a 74. Fleetwood kept in range, signing for his second consecutive 67.
The South Korean is after his most significant PGA Tour victory yet, still looking for a tour win since October 2021. Im said he’s familiar with Quail Hollow from the 2022 Presidents Cup, adding that he understands which holes offer chances and which demand caution.
McIlroy trails by four, though he’s far from finished. The world No. 2 posted a 4-under 67 Friday, lighting up the back nine with five birdies in a seven-hole stretch after being eight behind at the turn. “It was a good day to get myself back in the hunt,” McIlroy said. Golf Channel
This is his first tournament since taking the Masters on April 12, and Charlotte’s been good to him—he’s already got four Quail Hollow titles. On Friday, he strung together 14 consecutive greens in regulation, which marked his best run ever on this course.
Fleetwood sits nearest in pursuit. He carded five birdies to offset a lone bogey Friday, telling reporters he was glad to have “something to show for your work” despite feeling a bit out of sync with his game for much of the day. Golf Channel
At 7 under, Thomas and Alex Fitzpatrick sit two shots behind the leaders. Thomas—who captured the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow back in 2017—said he felt “close” after carding a 68 in round two, enough to keep him in the next group chasing. Golf Channel
Im faces a narrow margin now, and with the course already coughing up some low numbers, there’s not much slack left. McIlroy has started charging, Fleetwood keeps grinding, and Thomas is right there—any lapse could cost Im. Add in the weather delay, and leaders might be contending with shifting conditions as the day unfolds.
Saturday’s reshuffled tee times have McIlroy going out with Nicolai Højgaard at 2:35 p.m., Thomas paired with Fitzpatrick at 2:55 p.m., and the last slot—Im and Fleetwood—set for 3:05 p.m. Over the coming hours, Im’s steady opening will either turn into a wire-to-wire run, or he’ll be chased.
