'11 Under Par in 27 Holes' Im Sung-jae Says "Putting Lesson Hit the Mark"

'The 5th Major' The Players Championship Day 3

"Today, my putting was good."

It is the excitement of the 'newlywed' Im Sung-jae. On the 12th (Korean time), Im Sung-jae showcased incredible power by shooting 11-under par on the third day of The Players Championship (total prize money $25 million), known as the 'fifth major,' held at the Sawgrass TPC (par 72, 7,256 yards) in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA.

Im Sung-jae is discussing hole strategy with caddie Land Bennett at the 7th hole of the third round of The Players Championship.
[Photo by PGA Tour]

After reducing 3 strokes in the 9 holes of the second round that could not be completed the previous day due to sunset, he followed up with an 8-under par in the third round. His ranking, which had been around 80th place, rose to a tie for 41st immediately after the second round, and after completing the third round, he jumped to a tie for 8th place, 6 strokes behind the leader.

Im Sung-jae cheered, "I played the remaining 9 holes this morning, passed the cut, and started the third round feeling good. Although it was physically tough to play early in the morning, I am happy to have achieved a good result."

- How do you feel about shooting 8-under par in the third round?

▲ The weather was good. There was no wind, so I played with the mindset of trying to score as low as possible. I got off to a great start with birdies from the beginning. The effort to maintain concentration until the end was the strength behind shooting 8-under par.

- You reduced 5 strokes in the front nine. What was different from previous rounds?

▲ On the first day, my back was stiff, so I couldn't swing perfectly. Unlike yesterday, today I managed my back by stretching, so the swing felt more comfortable. Overall, my tee shots were good, and my putting, which hadn't been going well, improved today. I tried something during lessons with my coach, and that seemed to help a lot.

- What was the most memorable moment?

▲ The last 9th hole (par 5). My third shot landed on pine needles, and I didn't know what would happen when I hit it. I thought I'd try to get it up somehow with a 60-degree wedge. It made perfect contact, went up well, and stopped nicely with backspin. I think that shot was my best shot.

- On the other hand, was there a disappointing moment?

▲ The 8th hole (par 3). I hit a hybrid shot that went into the left rough, and I had to declare it unplayable, which was disappointing. The momentum could have been bad, but I managed to save it with a bogey.

- Is your back hurting a lot?

▲ No. My back was a bit stiff on the first day, so I felt like I couldn't swing flexibly. I rested and monitored my back condition. I applied patches and then used a massage gun to loosen my back and waist. It has improved a lot.

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