World No. 25 Sungjae Im Aims for a Comeback

Sungjae Im Aims for Victory at the John Deere Classic
Many Top-Ranked Players Skip Tournament Ahead of European Events
Looking to Bounce Back After Missing Two Cuts in Last Five Events

World No. 25 Sungjae Im is aiming for a comeback.

On July 3 (local time), the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic (total prize money: $8.4 million) will take place at TPC Deere Run (par 71, 7,289 yards) in Silvis, Illinois, USA, where Im will challenge for the title.

Sungjae Im challenges for victory at the John Deere Classic. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

The PGA Tour is approaching the end of the season, with about a month remaining before the start of the playoffs. After this tournament, the Genesis Scottish Open will begin on July 13, followed by The Open, the final major of the year, in Northern Ireland starting July 20. With major events scheduled in Europe, many of the top-ranked players are skipping this tournament.

Among the participants, Im holds the second-highest world ranking, behind only Ben Griffin (USA, ranked 17th). In the FedExCup rankings, Im is also second among the field, following Griffin, who is ranked 6th, with Im sitting at 24th. In this year's power rankings selected by the PGA Tour, Griffin is ranked No. 1, while Im is evaluated at No. 12.

Im has struggled recently, missing the cut in two of his last five tournaments. With major events in Europe approaching, this tournament presents an opportunity for him to regain momentum. Two weeks ago, Im finished tied for 61st at the Travelers Championship, and after skipping last week's Rocket Mortgage Classic, he is returning to compete this week. In last year's John Deere Classic, he shot 7-under in the final round to finish tied for 12th. Alongside Im, Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim will also represent Korea in this tournament.

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