'PO No.1' Im Sung-jae: "Practice, and more practice"... "Next target is Olympic medal"

PGA Tour Shutdown Due to COVID-19, Tokyo Olympics Postponed to Next Year, Solo Training in Tampa Bay "Practicing Brings Peace of Mind"

The rising momentum of Im Sung-jae, ranked number 1 in the PO rankings, has been halted by COVID-19.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "Practice, and more practice."

This is the way Im Sung-jae (22, CJ Logistics), the 'PO Ranking No.1', is coping with the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). In a recent interview with Golf Channel USA, he shared, "The golf courses in Tampa Bay, Florida, where I am currently staying, are still open, so I can play rounds every day," and added, "I also go fishing on weekends." He expressed gratitude by saying, "I want to thank the medical staff and volunteers who are working hard day and night," and added, "I wish for the speedy recovery of the patients."

For Im Sung-jae, the current situation is even more regrettable as the PGA Tour has shut down due to the spread of COVID-19, and the Tokyo Olympics scheduled for July have been postponed for a year. After securing his first victory at the Honda Classic in early March, he quickly rose to No.1 in the FedEx Cup (PO) points ranking, led by a third-place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational next week. As of the 1st, he ranks 2nd in prize money ($3,862,000) and 23rd in the world rankings.

Im Sung-jae is the next-generation hopeful of Korea. In 2015, he made waves by passing both the Korean Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) Qualifying Tournament (QT) simultaneously. After moving between Korea and Japan, he passed the PGA Korn Ferry Tour (2nd tier) QT in 2nd place in December 2017 and moved to the U.S. In 2018, he swept two wins on the Korn Ferry Tour, quickly securing his PGA Tour card. This is why experts named him the rookie to watch ahead of the 2019 season.

Im Sung-jae (front) is seen examining the putting line with caddie Lee Ki-taek on the first day of The Players Championship, known as the "fifth major."

Last year, his ironclad stamina stood out as he played in 35 tournaments. With persistence that led him to seven 'Top 10' finishes, including a tie for 3rd at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he was the only rookie to advance to the 'Playoffs (PO) final third stage' Tour Championship, becoming the first Asian rookie of the year. The playoff loss at the Sanderson Farms event, included in the 2020 season in September, was somewhat disappointing. He consoled himself by winning the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour Genesis Championship in October.

At the Honda Classic, he completed the final '2%' with perfect harmony with his caddie. He won together with Alvin Choi and finished 3rd again at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with Lee Ki-taek. Locally, it was analyzed that "both caddies are fluent in Korean and English, which helped overcome Im Sung-jae's language barrier." Im Sung-jae himself revealed, "In the past, American caddies made it difficult to discuss subtle green contours or golf rules."

The next target is undoubtedly the Olympics. Along with the medal, the 'two rabbits' of military service exemption await. It is interesting that the American media have already focused on this point. They added the forecast, "He has enough ability to win a medal, but maintaining this upward momentum for the next year and a half could be a burden." Im Sung-jae said, "Every athlete dreams of an Olympic medal," and added, "This year, I will focus on surpassing last year's PO final 19th place."

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