[Masters] Im Sung-jae "The Course Seems to Suit Korean Players Well"

by Roh Woolae

Published 15 Nov.2020 09:12(KST)

Day 3: Joint 2nd Place, 4 Shots Behind, Shinbaram, First Korean Player in Champion Group, "I Will Repay the All-Night Support"

Im Sung-jae is walking on the fairway of the 18th hole on the third day of the Masters. Augusta, Georgia, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] The smile of Im Sung-jae (22, CJ Logistics).

On the 15th (Korean time), after finishing the third day of the 'Masters' at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA (par 72, 7,475 yards) tied for 2nd place, 4 strokes behind the leader, he shared his thoughts in an interview. He revealed the secret to his good performance, saying, "The course seems to suit Korean players well," and "Maybe because I have watched a lot of TV broadcasts since I was young, it also feels familiar." At 11:29 p.m. that night, he will play alongside world No. 1 Dustin Johnson (USA) and co-2nd place Abraham Ancer (Mexico).

This is the first time a Korean player has competed in the final day champion group at the Masters. "Pro Choi Kyung-ju told me that the Masters course suits players who hit a slightly straight fade, and I think that's true for me as well," he explained. "Also, when standing on the tee box, the course is easy to see, making it convenient to plan my strategy." Making his debut at the Masters, he is showing great enthusiasm. His performance could surpass the 3rd place finish of 'Tank' Choi Kyung-ju (50, SK Telecom) in 2004.

"I have played two seasons on the PGA Tour and experienced missing cuts in majors, but finishing 22nd at this year's US Open helped me gain valuable experience," he said. Im Sung-jae, who said "domestic fans cheer a lot in the early morning," promised, "I will repay the fans who stay up all night cheering with good results so that their time is not wasted," and vowed, "Tomorrow, I will continue steadily without mistakes and seize opportunities to make birdies."