'Number 1' Johnson to Hilton Head: "Masters 'Cut Off' Was Too Regrettable"... What About Im Sung-jae?

RBC Heritage Entry List: Morikawa and Hatton Join, Simpson Defends Title, Korea Sends Im Sung-jae, Kim Si-woo, and An Byeong-hun

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson immediately entered the RBC Heritage to make up for the humiliation of missing the cut at the Masters.

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] World No. 1 Dustin Johnson (USA) has turned 'poisonous.'

He suffered the humiliation of being 'cut off' at the Masters, where he was defending his title. After crowning Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) with the 'Green Jacket,' he immediately flew to Hilton Head Harbour Town Golf Links in South Carolina, USA (par 71, 7,121 yards) to participate in the PGA Tour RBC Heritage (total prize money $7.1 million), which opens on the night of the 15th (Korean time). Fourth-ranked Collin Morikawa (USA), eighth-ranked Tyrrell Hatton (England), and tenth-ranked Patrick Cantlay (USA) also joined.

Johnson set a tournament record (20-under 268) when he won the 'Fall Masters' last November. He broke Tiger Woods' 1997 and Jordan Spieth's (both USA) 2015 record of 18-under 270. This came after winning 3 times in the 2020 season and once in the 2021 season, totaling 4 wins, especially achieving an astonishing 'win-second place-win' in the three playoff (PO) tournaments from August to September. His momentum accelerated with a victory at the European Tour Saudi International in February this year.

However, this Masters saw him play lethargically with 2-over par on the first day and 3-over par on the second day. Most notably, his iron shot green hit rate dropped to 55.56%, failing to conquer Augusta National Golf Club. This is a stark contrast to last year's 83.33% 'pinpoint iron shots.' Interestingly, accuracy is also the 'winning keyword' at Harbour Town Golf Links, where this tournament is held. It is a chance for Johnson to restore his pride.

Webb Simpson (USA) is aiming for a second consecutive win. Last June, delayed by two months due to COVID-19, he shot 7-under par on the final day at the 'Promised Land.' His 'perfect shots' missed the green only three times and his 'stingy putting' averaged 1.60 putts per hole, standing out. This is why he is considered the strongest favorite to win on the PGA Tour. Abraham Ancer (Mexico), who finished second by one stroke last year, and Daniel Berger (USA), who tied for third by two strokes, are seeking revenge.

Im Sung-jae has once again aimed for his first win of the season at the RBC Heritage.

The Korean contingent, including Im Sung-jae (23) and Kim Si-woo (26), took their places at the start line. Im Sung-jae is in a situation similar to Johnson's. After a quadruple bogey on the 15th hole (par 5) in the first round resulting in 5-over par, and a triple bogey on the 11th hole (par 4) in the second round leading to a total of 8-over par, he left the course early, making last year's runner-up finish as the first Asian player seem meaningless. An Byeong-hun (30), Kang Sung-hoon (34), Lee Kyung-hoon (30, all from CJ Logistics), and Choi Kyung-ju (51, SK Telecom) accompanied him.