Sungjae Im in 'Top 5', English Wins in Playoff... DeChambeau "Did You See That 414-Yard Long Drive?"

'Wangjungwangjeon' Sentry Tournament Final Day Tied 5th, Defending Champ Thomas 3rd, DeChambeau and Ram Tied 7th

Im Sung-jae is teeing off on the 2nd hole on the final day of the Sentry Tournament. Kapalua, Hawaii, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Getty Images

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] Im Sung-jae (23, CJ Logistics) is off to a good start in 2021.

On the 11th (Korean time), at the Plantation Golf Course (Par 73, 7,518 yards) of Kapalua Resort on Maui Island, Hawaii, USA, he finished tied for 5th place (21-under 271) on the final day of the PGA Tour Sentry Tournament (total prize money $6.7 million). Harris English (USA) and Joaquin Niemann (Chile) tied at 25-under 267, and English won with a birdie on the first hole of the playoff, securing his third career victory in eight years. The winner's prize money was $1.34 million (14.7 billion won).

▲ Im Sung-jae "First outing of the new year, ‘Top 5’" = He recorded six birdies and two bogeys. He opened the scoring early with a birdie on the first hole (par 4), but his iron shots wavered on the 2nd and 3rd holes, resulting in consecutive bogeys. Fortunately, he changed the momentum with a ‘2-on 2-putt’ birdie on the 5th hole (par 5). Birdies on the 13th hole (par 4) in the back nine, especially a three consecutive birdies from the 16th to 18th holes, stood out. This is his second ‘Top 5’ finish in the 2020/2021 season following a tie for 2nd place at the Masters in November last year.

Niemann fell short by ‘2%’. On the 18th hole (par 5) in the resumed playoff, his second shot flew over the green into the rough, and his third shot stopped on the apron. English sealed the victory with a ‘2-meter birdie’. Justin Thomas (USA) failed to defend his title, finishing 3rd (24-under 268). He mounted a chase with a 7-under round but was halted by a bogey on the 17th hole (par 4). Although he recovered with a birdie on the 18th hole, he was one stroke short.

Bryson DeChambeau is hitting an iron shot on the 2nd hole on the final day of the Sentry Tournament. Kapalua, Hawaii, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

▲ DeChambeau "Did you see that 414-yard drive?" = ‘The Hulk’ Bryson DeChambeau (USA) tied for 7th place (20-under 272). Above all, his drives exceeding 400 yards each round drew attention. On the second day at the 12th hole (par 4), he hit a massive 414-yard drive. He gained 18 kg last year, reaching a hefty 110 kg, and has led the PGA Tour in driving distance for the 2019/2020 season (322.1 yards) and 2020/2021 season (337.8 yards). He also secured a 6-stroke victory at the US Open last September.

Putting is the issue. It is interesting that DeChambeau ranks near the bottom (167th) on the PGA Tour with an average of 1.78 putts per hole. In this tournament as well, his average was 1.80, indicating a shortage of birdies. On this day, he lowered it to 1.71, collecting one eagle and five birdies. The highlight was the final 18th hole (668 yards). After a 392-yard tee shot, he easily reached the green in two shots from 244 yards and sank a 1.6-meter eagle putt.

Yon Rahm is teeing off on the 16th hole on the final day of the Sentry Tournament. Kapalua, Hawaii, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

▲ Rahm "The new gear looks good" = World No. 2 Jon Rahm (Spain) joined the tie for 7th place. Instead of the TaylorMade clubs he used for the past five years, he chose Callaway and immediately put them into play, which is noteworthy. His equipment includes an Epic Speed driver, prototype woods, muscle-back design X Forged TCB irons, and MD5 Forged wedges. He recalled fond memories of winning 11 times with Callaway and Odyssey during his time at Arizona State University.

He seems satisfied with the club change. Although he struggled with 3-under in the first round, his consistency improved as the tournament progressed with 7-under in the second round, 4-under in the third, and 6-under in the fourth. He recorded a maximum drive of 397 yards, a fairway hit rate of 78.33%, and an iron shot green hit rate of 80.56%. Meanwhile, ‘Number 1’ Dustin Johnson (USA) faded after shooting only 2-under on the first day and ultimately finished tied for 11th (18-under 274).

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