Sungjae Im knocks the rust off, shoots 64 to take early lead at Valspar
Sungjae Im, after a wrist injury and military boot camp, shot 7-under 64 to lead the Valspar Championship.
PALM HARBOR, Fla. – The rust is officially off Sungjae Im. After missing the cut at his first two starts following a lengthy layoff while nursing a wrist injury, Im played the first three holes at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course in 4 under and posted 7-under 64 Thursday to take an early lead a the Valspar Championship .
“The irons were dialed in and the putter was hot,” said Will Wilcox, Im’s caddie. “That’s the way he normally plays, same temperament, just a few extra fist bumps. ” Im returned to the Titleist T-100 irons he has used for more than seven years.
He had tried the T-150s at his first two starts. He also switched back from Vokey SM11 wedges to SM7s. “The ball striking is coming around and he’s on the right path with his golf swing,” Wilcox said.
Im took a break after the Tour Championship in late August until the PGA Tour's Zozo Championship in October and also played in Macau and Korea before shutting things down Oct. 26. Im won a gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games, Korea's first team gold medal in 13 years, making him exempt from serving a two-year military term.