'K Brothers' The Players Declaration... "Im Sung-jae's Hole-in-One Memory, Kim Si-woo Likes the Course"

Im Sung-jae is playing a practice round ahead of the "fifth major," The Players Championship. Ponte Vedra Beach, USA = Getty Images / MultiBits

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] "A thrilling hole-in-one memory."

‘Shriners Champ’ Im Sung-jae (24) made his first hole-in-one on the U.S. PGA Tour at the 13th hole (par 3) of the second round of the 2019 ‘Fifth Major’ The Players Championship. It was an 8-iron shot from 152 yards. He cheered, "Considering the downhill slope, I aimed to the right of the pin," and "The backspin worked well." It was surprising that he was cut off. A double bogey caused by a tee shot mistake at the crucial 17th hole (par 3) in the final stage halted his momentum.

Before this year’s tournament opening on the night of the 10th (Korean time) at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida (par 72, 7,256 yards), Im Sung-jae said, "The 17th hole is a hole to watch out for," adding, "I would be happy just to make par." He confidently ranks 5th in the Playoff (PO) rankings, leading with four top-10 finishes including one win in 11 tournaments during the 2022 season. Along with Martin Laird (Scotland) and Richy Werenski (USA), he will start his ‘2-win march’ at 9:18 p.m. at the 1st hole (par 4).

Kim Si-woo also expressed confidence, saying, "My shot feel has been good since last week." When he won in 2017, he recorded 3-under par on the final day to achieve a 3-stroke victory (10-under par 278), setting a new milestone as the youngest champion. In 2020, he led with 7-under par on the first day but the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was a big disappointment. He has been notably strong at Sawgrass, finishing tied for 9th last year. He shared his know-how, saying, "The short game is important."

The ‘K Brothers’ are accompanied by Lee Kyung-hoon (31). He joined the ranks of Korean champions as the 8th ever by winning the AT&T Byron Nelson in May last year, following ‘Tank’ Choi Kyung-ju (52, SK Telecom, 8 wins), Yang Yong-eun (50, 2 wins), Bae Sang-moon (36, 2 wins), Noh Seung-yul (32, 1 win), Kim Si-woo (3 wins), Kang Sung-hoon (35, 1 win), and Im Sung-jae. He said, "The course is very difficult, and with the forecast of bad weather, patience will be necessary," and fired up his fighting spirit, "If an opportunity comes, I will definitely seize it."

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