Thomas Aims for First Win at Phoenix Open with 3rd Victory Bid; Matsuyama and Woodland Join as 'Past Champions'
[Asia Economy Reporter Noo Rae Noh] "A golf liberation zone."
This is the first victory declaration of 'Rookie of the Year' Im Sung-jae (22, CJ Logistics). It is at the Waste Management Phoenix Open (total prize money $7.3 million) of the 2019/2020 PGA Tour season, held on the 30th (Korean time) at Scottsdale Golf Club (par 71, 7,261 yards) in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. This tournament is the only 'golf liberation zone' in the global golf world that allows drinking and loud cheering. This year, the total prize money was increased by $200,000, further expanding its scale.
Im Sung-jae is the hope of Korean men's golf. In 2015, he caused a sensation by simultaneously passing the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour Qualifying Tournament (QT) and the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) Q-School. He traveled between Korea and Japan for two years until 2017. In December, he passed the PGA Korn Ferry Tour QT in second place and moved to the United States. In 2018, he swept two wins at the opening and final events, quickly securing his PGA Tour card as a next-generation prospect.
He boasts powerful long drives from a sturdy physique of 183 cm in height and 90 kg in weight. In the 2018/2019 season, he played in 35 tournaments, showing consistency by entering the 'Top 10' seven times, including a tie for 3rd at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He was the only rookie to advance to the Tour Championship, the final third playoff event, and became the first Asian player to win the Rookie of the Year award. A rookie of the year without a win has not occurred since Daniel Berger (USA) in 2015, four years ago.
This year, his skills are evaluated to have improved even more. He has no major weaknesses, with an average driving distance of 302.3 yards (52nd on the PGA Tour), a greens in regulation rate of 70.68% (83rd), and an average of 28.06 putts per round (9th). He has competed in nine tournaments, finishing in the 'Top 10' three times, including runner-up at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He has qualified for all main events. He ranks 9th in FedEx Cup points (719 points), 12th in money ranking ($1.85 million) and scoring average (69.75), and 35th in the world rankings (2.91 points).
The last puzzle is his first regular tour victory. He finished tied for 36th at last week's Farmers Insurance Open as a warm-up. His compatibility with the course is also good. He recalls the pleasant memory of shooting 2-under par on the final day last year to jump to a tie for 7th, his second 'Top 10' of the season. Im Sung-jae, who said, "I am playing comfortably this year," expressed confidence, saying, "Since I have played this course before, the pressure is less. I will focus more and challenge for the win."
Ricky Fowler (USA) is aiming for a second consecutive victory. He was the winner of this tournament last year, marking his first win of the season and his fifth career victory after two years since the Honda Classic in February 2017. He started this year well with a tie for 5th at the Sentry Tournament and a tie for 10th at the American Express, but suffered the humiliation of missing the cut at last week's Farmers Insurance Open. His fairway hit rate was only 50% over two days. He is now looking to restore his pride by defending his title.
Justin Thomas (USA), ranked 1st in the FedEx Cup and 4th in the world, is a strong favorite for the win. He is a formidable player who has already secured two wins this year by capturing The CJ Cup and the Sentry Tournament. Last year, he finished 3rd, three strokes behind the winner. Other contenders include 2016 and 2017 champion Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), 2018 champion Gary Woodland (USA), Jon Rahm (Spain), and Bryson DeChambeau (USA). Korea is represented by K.J. Choi (50), Kang Sung-hoon (33), Kim Si-woo (25), An Byeong-hun (29), Lee Kyoung-hoon (29), and Noh Seung-yul (29), all participating in full force.
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