Im Sungjae "Invited by the Golf Emperor"... Competing in the U.S. Hero World Challenge

Sungjae Im and Woods Invited to December's 'Special Event'
Korean Player Third to Stand Shoulder to Shoulder with Top Golfers

Sungjae Im [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seo-hee] Im Sung-jae (24) will be the third Korean player to participate in the Hero World Challenge held in December. The Hero World Challenge is a tournament hosted by the "Golf Emperor" Tiger Woods (USA), inviting only the top 20 world-ranked players every year at the end of the year.

On the 1st, Im Sung-jae's management company All That Sports announced, "Im Sung-jae will participate in the Hero World Challenge (total prize money of $3.5 million) held in the Bahamas for four days starting December 1."

The Hero World Challenge is not an official PGA Tour event, but world ranking points are at stake. Participation in the tournament means receiving an invitation from Woods, which is significant as it places the player alongside world-class golfers. Im Sung-jae is ranked 18th in the world.

So far, Korean players who have participated include K.J. Choi (2003, 2008, 2011) and Yang Yong-eun (2009). If Im Sung-jae participates this year, he will be the third Korean player to do so and the first in 10 years since 2011. The best performance by a Korean player in this tournament was K.J. Choi's 6th place in 2003.

Im Sung-jae said, "I could have participated two years ago, but the event was canceled due to COVID-19, so it was disappointing. I am honored to participate this time and grateful to Woods for the invitation."

Meanwhile, Im Sung-jae, who finished 2nd in the 2021-2022 PGA Tour FedEx Cup, is currently resting at his home in Atlanta, Georgia. He will resume his schedule at the Presidents Cup held in Charlotte, North Carolina, starting on the 22nd.

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