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‘Asian Games hero’ Im Sung-jae is heading to Japan.
He will participate in the PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship (total prize money $8.5 million) held on the 19th at Narashino Country Club (par 70, 7,079 yards) in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. This is the fourth tournament of the so-called ‘Fall Series’ held after the regular season. The Fall Series is a tournament set up for players who did not secure their 2024 tour cards, but the Zozo Championship is somewhat special. The field is limited to 78 players, and top-tier players compete.
Im Sung-jae has performed well in this tournament before. In 2019, his first appearance, he tied for 3rd place alongside Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland). The winner that year was the ‘Golf Emperor’ Tiger Woods (USA). Last year, Im finished tied for 29th. Earlier this month, he won a team gold medal and an individual silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games. He secured military service benefits, paving the way for a long career on the PGA Tour.
Im Sung-jae also shone at last week’s Korean Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour Genesis Championship. Leading for three days, a ‘wire-to-wire’ victory was expected. He had a chance to finish the match on the 18th hole (par 5) of the final round but missed a birdie putt, allowing Park Sang-hyun and Bae Yong-jun to catch up and force a playoff, where he tasted defeat. The tournament champion was Park Sang-hyun. Im is determined to shake off the disappointment of last week’s runner-up finish in Japan.
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World No. 6 Xander Schauffele and two-time major winner Collin Morikawa (both USA) are strong favorites to win. Defending champion Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler (both USA), Adam Scott, Minwoo Lee (both Australia), and Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) will also compete for the trophy. Korea is represented by Lee Kyung-hoon, who performed well with a tie for 7th place at last week’s Shriners Children’s Open. Rookie Kim Sung-hyun and Song Young-han, who plays on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), have also joined the field.
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