Returning Sungjae Im: "My Goal Is to Qualify for the Tour Championship for Eight Consecutive Years"

Returning to PGA Tour After Wrist Injury
Arnold Palmer Invitational Marks First Tournament of the Year
"Rest Was Healing...I Aim to Boost My World Ranking"

Sungjae Im shared his thoughts on returning to the tour. He expressed his determination, saying, "Although it's late, I will accumulate as many points as possible to qualify for the Tour Championship for the eighth consecutive year."

On March 5 (local time), after completing an official practice round for the Arnold Palmer Invitational (total prize money: 20 million dollars) of the PGA Tour, held at Bay Hill Golf & Lodge (par 72, 7,466 yards) in Orlando, Florida, USA, he spoke with the Korean media via video interview, sharing his goals for the season.

Im said, "I'm excited and looking forward to competing in a PGA Tour event again after a long time away." He continued, "I started practicing my shots in earnest starting last week. My wrist still feels a bit stiff, but not to the extent that I'd have to withdraw from the tournament," explaining his current physical condition. He added, "Compared to other players, I haven't been able to compete in actual tournaments for about two months, so I haven't been able to earn points. But with four major championships and many big tournaments left this season, I plan to focus on participating in large-scale events rather than overloading my schedule, gradually improving my condition and steadily accumulating points."

Sungjae Im is practicing a round ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Orlando=AFP Yonhap News Agency

Im had to pause his training after injuring his right wrist while preparing for the season in early January. Due to the lingering pain, he missed the first seven events of the 2026 season, including premier tournaments like the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational. During this time, his world ranking dropped sharply. After reaching as high as 17th last year, his ranking fell to 72nd in the first week of March.

He is not feeling rushed. Instead, he used the two months off due to injury as a time to recharge. Im recalled, "When I first hurt my wrist, I felt frustrated and stressed. But taking a complete break and resting in Korea turned out to be healing for me." He added, "Since becoming a professional player, this was the longest break I ever had. For about a month and a half, I didn't even touch a golf club, and after resuming training, I focused on regaining my previous form."

His goal for this season is clear: to consistently finish near the top and qualify for the Tour Championship for the eighth consecutive year. Im said, "Since my PGA debut, I've only won twice, but I've consistently stayed near the top. Going forward, rather than obsessing over victories, I want to be a player who continuously delivers strong results." He also commented, "Even if you win a lot, if your performance is inconsistent, you won't earn respect among players. If I continue to finish in the top 10 as I have so far, I expect to secure a spot in the Tour Championship again, and my world ranking will naturally recover."

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