Sungjae Im's 'Title Defense'..."Back-to-Back Wins for the First Time in 43 Years GO~"

Challenging 2nd Win at Honda Classic After First Career Victory, World Stars Including 'Number 1' Johnson Resting, Burger, Fowler, and Westwood Set to Compete

Sungjae Im will compete in his first PGA Tour title defense at the Honda Classic.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] It is the title defense for Im Sung-jae (23, CJ Logistics), ranked 18th in the world.

The Honda Classic (total prize money $7 million), opening on the night of the 18th (Korean time) at PGA National Golf Club (Par 70, 6,966 yards) in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA, is the very stage where he secured his first PGA Tour victory last year. Daniel Berger, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am champion, is aiming for his second win, and past champions who have shown exceptional strength at PGA National, such as Rickie Fowler in 2017 and Keith Mitchell in 2019 (both from the USA), have all gathered.

Last year, Im Sung-jae shot 4-under par on the final day to clinch a one-stroke victory (6-under par 274). It was his 50th event since joining the PGA Tour, making him the seventh Korean champion after K.J. Choi (51, SK Telecom), Yang Yong-eun (49), Bae Sang-moon (35), Noh Seung-yul (31), Kim Si-woo (26), and Kang Sung-hoon (34, CJ Logistics). The following week, he accelerated his momentum with a 3rd place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It is even more regrettable that the PGA Tour was shut down due to COVID-19.

At the fall Masters in November, he demonstrated major competitiveness by finishing runner-up after battling in the champion group with world No. 1 Dustin Johnson (USA). It is noteworthy that Im Sung-jae made the cut in all eight tournaments in 2021, including a tie for 5th at the Sentry Tournament. His consistency is remarkable. At The Players Championship, known as the "fifth major," which ended on the 15th, he showed strong finishing power by shooting 6-under par on the final day to rise to a tie for 17th place.

Most world stars took a break immediately after The Players Championship, increasing his chances of winning. The World Golf Championships (WGC) Dell Technologies Match Play follows on the 24th, placing this event between two major matches. The PGA Tour also ranked Im Sung-jae as the "3rd favorite to win." He is aiming for a historic feat of back-to-back wins for the first time in 43 years since the "old golf emperor" Jack Nicklaus (USA, 1977-1978).

Ricky Fowler aims to break out of his slump at the Honda Classic.

Daniel Berger is a player to watch. He won the Charles Schwab Challenge last year, which resumed after a COVID-19 suspension, defeating Collin Morikawa (USA) in a playoff. He is on a roll, having reached four career wins at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Rickie Fowler sees this as an opportunity to break free from a slump, having only two top-10 finishes last year. He is counting on his perfect compatibility with the course, having won by 4 strokes in 2017 and finished runner-up by 1 stroke in 2019.

The veteran spirit of 48-year-old Lee Westwood (England) is another story. He has been frustrated with back-to-back runner-up finishes, losing in the final stages at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the 8th and The Players Championship on the 15th. He is challenging for his third PGA Tour win in 10 years and 9 months since the St. Jude Classic in June 2010. Korea’s K.J. Choi, Noh Seung-yul, Kang Sung-hoon, An Byeong-hun (30), and Lee Kyung-hoon (30, both CJ Logistics) are also looking for their opportunities.

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