Arnold Palmer Invitational First Win Rechallenge, Hatton 'Title Defense', 'Hulk' DeChambeau Joins Victory Race
Sungjae Im challenges for his first win of the 2021 season at the "Promised Land" Arnold Palmer Invitational.
[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "Tied for 3rd → 3rd → This time?"
World No. 17 Im Sung-jae (23, CJ Logistics) has arrived at the "Promised Land." The Arnold Palmer Invitational (total prize money $9.3 million), opening on the night of the 4th (Korean time) at Bay Hill Golf Club in Orlando, Florida (par 72, 7,454 yards), was the stage where he first entered the PGA Tour top 3 in 2019. Last year, he also finished 3rd, showing particular strength on the Bay Hill course. He will clash with 'Number 8' Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland).
Im Sung-jae won his first PGA Tour title at the Honda Classic in March last year. He became the seventh Korean champion in history, following 'Tank' K.J. Choi (51, SK Telecom), Yang Yong-eun (49), Bae Sang-moon (35), Noh Seung-yul (31), Kim Si-woo (26), and Kang Sung-hoon (34, all CJ Logistics). The following week, he added a 3rd place finish at this tournament and took over the FedEx Cup points (PO) ranking No. 1. On the final day, he faltered with a 1-over-par, which was a disappointment as it halted his bid for back-to-back wins.
According to the PGA Tour schedule, this tournament comes first this year. For Im Sung-jae, it serves as a preliminary battle before defending his title. It is worth noting that he has become even stronger in the 2021 season. In November, at the 'Fall Masters,' he faced world No. 1 Dustin Johnson (USA) and finished as runner-up, showing particular competitiveness in majors. He established a residence at Sugarloaf TPC in Atlanta, Georgia, at the end of the year, and is on the rise with a tied 5th place at the first event of 2021, the Sentry Tournament.
The defending champion is Tyrrell Hatton (England). Last year's one-stroke victory and receiving the 'Arnold Palmer symbol' red cardigan was a thrilling memory. In January, he enhanced his presence by defeating McIlroy at the European Tour 2021 season opener, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Experts have named McIlroy as the 'top favorite to win.' He completed his 'warm-up' with a tied 6th place at the World Golf Championships (WGC) Workday Championship, which ended on the 1st.
'The Hulk' Bryson DeChambeau (USA) is a dark horse. Leading with an average driving distance of 323.90 yards (PGA Tour No. 1), he is pushing for victory at every tournament, but his iron shot green hit rate is only 66.67% (ranked 123rd), resulting in large score fluctuations. Patrick Reed (USA) and Matthew Fitzpatrick (England) are watching for opportunities. Korea will field a full lineup including 'American Express Champion' Kim Si-woo (26), An Byeong-hun (30), Kang Sung-hoon (34), and Lee Kyung-hoon (30, all CJ Logistics).
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
