'8-Hole Lead Victory' Im Sung-jae: "Today Ended the Fastest"

Dell Technologies Match Play Round 1 Victory
"Round 2 Opponent Poston Is a Straight Hitter"

"Today seemed to end the fastest."

Im Sung-jae is walking on the green at the 7th hole of the first match of the Dell Technologies Match Play group stage. [Austin (USA) = AP·Yonhap News]

This is the impression of Im Sung-jae, ranked 16th in the world, after taking the initiative. On the 23rd (Korean time), at the Austin Country Club (par 71, 7,108 yards) in Austin, Texas, USA, during the first group stage match of the World Golf Championships (WGC) Series Dell Technologies Match Play (total prize money $20 million), he defeated Maverick McNealy (USA), ranked 58th in the world, by 8 holes and said, "The match was decided early, so I was able to save my stamina," adding, "Since there are many matches left, I think it's fortunate."

- Your thoughts on winning the first match.

▲ I won the match by a large margin today. Maverick also made some shot mistakes. It seemed like it wasn't a good day for him. That's why I think I was able to win. I will work hard over the next two days to advance to the round of 16.

- What was good about your play?

▲ My play was not bad. I made two birdies in the front nine. I regret the mistake around the green on the 8th hole (par 4), but overall I think I played the game smoothly.

- You won your first match, how do you feel?

▲ Winning the first match is important. When advancing to the round of 16 from the group, nothing can be predicted. There are cases where even with two wins, you don't advance. I think I have to always do my best and stay focused until the last match.

- What is your goal for the second match?

▲ Tomorrow, I will play against J.T. Poston (USA). He is a player who hits very straight, so I don't think he will make big mistakes. In match play, putting well is crucial. I will focus more on putting.

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