Im Sungjae "Going for 2 Consecutive Wins" ... What About 'Number 1' McIlroy?

Arnold Palmer Invitational: Molinari Defends Title, Fitzpatrick Seeks Revenge, Aiming for '2 Consecutive Wins'

'Honda Classic champ' Im Sung-jae will challenge for 'back-to-back wins' at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] 'Honda Classic Champion' Im Sung-jae (22, CJ Logistics) is challenging for 'back-to-back wins.'

On the night of the 5th (Korean time), the PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational (total prize money $9.3 million) opens at Bay Hill Golf Club (par 72, 7,454 yards) in Orlando, Florida, USA. This tournament is a special match founded by the 'Golf King' Arnold Palmer (USA). The winner's prize is a whopping $1,674,000 (about 2 billion KRW), and it grants a three-year tour exemption. World stars including world No. 1 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) have entered, heating up the atmosphere.

▲ Im Sung-jae "2 consecutive wins GO" = It is encouraging that the winning shot sense from the Honda Classic, which ended on the 2nd, is still alive. He unleashed drives up to 325 yards, with an iron shot green hit rate of 69.44% (2nd in the tournament), complemented by an average of 1.78 putts (29th), showing his 'stingy putting.' On the final day, at the fiercely contested PGA National Golf Club (par 70), he made two birdies on the notoriously difficult 15th to 17th holes, known as the 'Bear Trap,' demonstrating his strength on tough courses.

First of all, the perfect compatibility with Bay Hill is welcome. Last year, Im Sung-jae shot 4-under on the final day to finish tied for 3rd (9-under 279), marking his first PGA Tour 'Top 3.' This is his fourth consecutive tournament appearance, but stamina is not an issue. It is noteworthy that last year he played in as many as 35 tournaments and was the only rookie to advance to the Tour Championship, the final third playoff event, winning Rookie of the Year. Truly 'iron stamina.'

It is interesting that with the Honda Classic win, his world ranking soared to 25th, changing the respect he receives. Experts have named him the 6th favorite to win, and in fact, he was grouped with 2017 champion Marc Leishman (Australia) and Rickie Fowler (USA) in the 1st and 2nd rounds, creating a popular pairing. Im Sung-jae himself said, "Right now, just being able to compete on the PGA Tour is happiness," and revealed his hunter instinct, saying, "I will compete for wins on as many stages as possible."

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy is aiming to reclaim the top spot at the Arnold Palmer Invitational after two years.

▲ McIlroy vs Koepka "Number 1 competition is ongoing" = McIlroy's form is strong. Last year, he won three times and was named 'Player of the Year.' Following a tie for 3rd at the Zozo Championship in October 2020 season, he gained momentum by defeating Xander Schauffele (USA) in a playoff at the WGC HSBC Champions in November. This year, after warming up with a tie for 3rd at the January Farmers Open, he tied for 5th at both the Genesis Invitational and the Mexico Championship in February.

In five tournaments, he has one win, two ties for 3rd, and two ties for 5th, all finishing in the 'Top 5.' He is rather frustrated by the lack of more wins. McIlroy has a thrilling memory of shooting 8-under on the final day in 2018 to claim his 14th career win after 18 months. He is chasing the 'two rabbits' of his second win of the season and reclaiming the top spot after two years. Koepka urgently needs to tune his competitive shot sense, having suffered the humiliation of missing the cut at the Honda Classic.

Francesco Molinari (Italy) aims to defend his title, and Matthew Fitzpatrick (England) seeks revenge after finishing 2nd last year, sharing the same dream. Past champions such as 2016 winner Jason Day (Australia) and 2014-2015 back-to-back champion Matt Every (USA) have joined the competition for the title. Korea is supported by An Byeong-hun (29), who is on the rise, including a tie for 4th at the Honda Classic. Kang Sung-hoon (33) and Kim Si-woo (25, both CJ Logistics) will also participate together.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.