Sungjae Im's Vow of Revenge "Back to the Beginning"... McIlroy's Third Consecutive Appearance

Rechallenging for 2nd Win at Travelers Championship, World No.1 McIlroy and Top 5 All Gathered, 'Hulk' DeChambeau Joins

Sungjae Im is set to reclaim the 'No. 1 PO ranking' at the Travelers Championship.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] It is the "perseverance and determination" of Im Sung-jae (22, CJ Logistics), who ranks 3rd in the PO rankings.

The PGA Tour Travelers Championship (total prize money $7.4 million), held at River Highlands TPC in Cromwell, Connecticut, USA (par 70, 6,841 yards) on the night of the 25th (Korean time), is a fierce battleground. The 2020 season, which was halted after the first round of The Players Championship, known as the "fifth major," in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is now resuming after three months. Due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, the event is being held without spectators.

Im Sung-jae was the first Asian player to be crowned PGA Tour Rookie of the Year last year. Leading with seven top-10 finishes including a tie for 3rd at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he was the only rookie to advance to the Tour Championship, the final third round of the playoffs (PO). He secured his first victory at the Honda Classic in March and took over the top spot in the PO rankings with a 3rd place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He started the "resumed first event," the Charles Schwab Challenge, with a tie for 10th place.

However, he struggled at last week's RBC Heritage, finishing tied for 122nd and failing to make the cut. This was his first cut-off since tying for 69th at the Genesis Invitational in February. His upward momentum of top-10 finishes in the last three tournaments?1st, 3rd, and tied 10th?was halted. His greens in regulation dropped to 63.89%, making it difficult to create birdie opportunities. He also averaged 1.87 putts per hole, which was somewhat high. His PO ranking slipped to 3rd, so a turnaround is needed to compete for the title.

After the cut-off, he prepared for this tournament with sufficient rest and training. This is a stage where he first competed last year and finished tied for 21st (6 under par, 274 strokes). He has a good compatibility with the course, having shot scores in the 60s over three days, including 4 under par on the final day. He expressed his determination, saying, "I will go back to basics and focus again." South Korea is represented by An Byeong-hun (29), Kang Sung-hoon (33), Kim Si-woo (25), Lee Kyoung-hoon (29, all CJ Logistics), and Noh Seung-yul (29, Nike Golf).

'Number 1' Rory McIlroy challenges for victory at the Travelers Championship.

The competitors are impressive. All of the "top 5" are participating. World No. 1 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) is aiming for his second win of the season after seven months since the WGC HSBC Champions in November last year. His clutch putting ability and recovery of his dulled iron shots are key. World No. 2 Jon Rahm (Spain), No. 3 Justin Thomas, No. 4 Brooks Koepka, and No. 5 Webb Simpson (all USA) are strong contenders for the title.

"The Hulk" Bryson DeChambeau (USA) is a dark horse. He has finished in the top 10 in five consecutive recent tournaments. Chez Reavie (USA), the "249 attempts, 250th success" player, is going for his second consecutive win. Last year, he added 1 under par on the final day to complete a 4-stroke victory (17 under par, 263 strokes) at this "promised land." At that time, he achieved his second career win after 11 years and 250 tournaments since the RBC Canadian Open in July 2008, becoming the center of attention. Webb Simpson, the "RBC Heritage champ" and "PO ranking No. 1," is also challenging for his second consecutive win.

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