Slow and steady, Ironman Im delivers a high point for Asia in 2020



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Slow and steady, Ironman Im delivers a high point for Asia in 2020

Sungjae Im possesses a deliberate and methodical backswing that often appears to be in slow motion. The languid action to fully charge for impact is a direct contrast to how the young Korean has so quickly risen to the top of the world golf order.

As 2020 draws to a close after an unprecedented year in sport in which COVID-19 threatened to overshadow this great game, the 22-year-old rising star has stood out and delivered a shining ray of hope to fans. Asian golfers.

By achieving a first PGA Tour victory in March and an outstanding second joint result on his Masters Tournament debut last month, Im has reinforced the belief that the state of the game in Asia is in good hands, no matter how slow. be Im backswing. be.

Im, who first learned about the sport at age three when his mother put a plastic club in his hands, has maintained his meteoric rise by driving his first PGA Tour title at the Honda Classic earlier this year, and then finishing. such as leading Asia in 11th place in the final FedExCup 2020 rankings. He then produced a bit of Masters magic to eclipse KJ Choi’s best third-place finish at Augusta National, showing his poise and unleashing his ability to finish only behind Dustin Johnson.

His career rise began just two years ago, when he topped the Korn Ferry Tour money list from start to finish after two wins and three finalists. He was quickly named the tour’s Player of the Year, with just 20 years becoming the youngest to accomplish the feat. The Korean powerhouse then produced seven top-10s to win Rookie of the Year honors on the PGA TourT, and capped off a memorable 2019 campaign with an outstanding performance at the Presidents Cup, where he delivered 3.5 points for the International Team, which included a 4-3 beating of Gary Woodland, the 2019 US Open champion, in singles.

Not only did I produce the most applause for Asia with his Honda heroics, but he also had a fleeting brush with the coveted FedExCup at the season-ending TOUR Championship. After excellent rounds of 68 and 64 at Atlanta in August, he entered the weekend just one back behind leader Dustin Johnson before nerves took hold as he settled for 11th place. He enjoyed a measure of consolation by dislodging Hideki Matsuyama as the region’s top runner-up on the TOUR, a position the Japanese star has held every year since 2014.

“The fact that I was able to get my first win in just my second year on the Tour, and also win on a difficult field meant a lot to me. Winning early in my career has given me a lot of confidence in myself. It led me to believe that I can chase after that second and third win and it has become a catalyst to work even harder here, ”Im said, reflecting on his year.

Due to his style of golf, which is based on the consistency of a watch, Im has earned several nicknames on the PGA TOUR, including “The Machine,” “Iron Byron” and “Im Ironman.” Mackenzie Hughes, who was beaten in second place by Im at The Honda, called her final round match with the Korean “man versus machine.” The Canadian said: “I’m the man, I shoot bunkers and hit the stands, and he’s like a machine. It was really impressive. “

Another golfer who has played with Im enough to know that the Korean is the real thing is the 2017 FedExCup winner, Justin Thomas. “I think it is impressive to fall short. He is beyond his years because of how young he is. The shots that he takes, to have so much variety in your game and to be able to hit high, very high with twist and hit low and fly and hold him against the winds, both from left to right and from right to left, is very impressive. “

“It’s like a machine,” said Geoff Ogilvy, vice captain of the International Presidents Cup Team. “He is the real deal. As for the package, it is the best package I have seen out of South Korea. Easily.”

Im has promised to be better and stronger when the new year comes. He wants to make substantial improvements based on the lessons learned in 2020, including the disappointing finish in the FedExCup Playoffs. “I got off to a great start, but not the rounds I wanted (after that). I was definitely a bit disappointed, but I will continue to prepare and practice. I felt a lot of pressure and nerves. The experience was valuable and will definitely help me compete in future events, ”he said.

Matsuyama, who enjoyed 15 top-25 finishes, including five top-10 finishes, and Xinjun Zhang, who became the first mainland Chinese golfer to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs thanks to seven top-25s and three top-10s. . He finished 78th in the final classification.

Zhang, who grew up in an agricultural village in China, was over the moon with his efforts. “I am very excited to compete with the best golfers and accumulate experiences. Trying to win is the goal of all players and for me it is the same. One small step leads to a thousand miles and what I can do is focus on every tournament and every swing. I think if I take small steps and continually make improvements, I am getting closer and closer to becoming a PGA TOUR champion. ”

Im’s backswing was more orthodox previously, but he slowed it down in search of consistency with his ball strokes. “During my first year on the Tour of Japan, I realized that the consistency of my shots was not there. I experimented with my backswing tempo and it ended up working really well, so since then, I’ve changed my backswing tempo to where it is now. “



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