‘PGA Star’ Im Sung-jae "Returning to Domestic Competition After 3 Years and 7 Months"

Challenge for Victory at Korean Tour Woori Financial Championship
Three Consecutive Top 10 Finishes in PGA Tour Events
'Maekyung Open Champ' Jeong Chan-min Aims for Second Win, Jo Woo-young as Dark Horse

Lim Sung-jae, the flagship of Korean men's golf, is meeting domestic golf fans after a long time.

Lim Sung-jae will participate in the Korean Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour Woori Financial Championship (total prize money 1.5 billion KRW), held for four days from the 11th at Ferrum Club (par 72, 7,232 yards) in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. Lim is ranked 18th in the world, the highest among Korean players, and is a star player with two wins on the PGA Tour. This is Lim's first appearance in a Korean Tour event in 3 years and 7 months since the Genesis Championship in October 2019.

Im Sung-jae is smiling brightly during the practice round of the Korean Tour Woori Financial Championship.
[Photo by KPGA]

Lim Sung-jae attempted to participate in the Woori Financial Championship last year but withdrew after contracting COVID-19 just before the tournament. He is determined to showcase the skills he could not display last year in front of the fans. He aims for his second Korean Tour victory following the 2019 Genesis Championship. This season, Lim has finished in the ‘top 10’ seven times on the PGA Tour. Notably, he has shown a sharp upward trend with three consecutive ‘top 10’ finishes, including a tie for 8th place at the prestigious Wells Fargo Championship that ended on the 8th.

Attention is also on whether ‘Korean Hulk’ Jung Chan-min, who won his first Korean Tour title last week at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, can secure back-to-back victories. Known for his powerful long drives, he demonstrated his short game skills at the Maekyung Open and lifted his first trophy with a wire-to-wire win. He is currently ranked first in prize money.

Amateurs Jo Woo-young and Jang Yoo-bin, who will represent Korea at the Hangzhou Asian Games in September, are considered ‘dark horses.’ Jo Woo-young made history last month by winning the Golfzon Open, becoming the first amateur to win a Korean Tour event in 10 years. If he wins this tournament as well, he will become the second amateur in Korean Tour history to achieve two wins, following Kim Kyung-tae in 2006. Jang Yoo-bin made a strong impression by finishing tied for 8th at the Maekyung Open. Last year’s champion Jang Hee-min is expected to defend her title.

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