Sungjae Im: "Scotty practically lives on the short game area"

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Im Sung-jae praised world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (USA).

Im Sung-jae is smiling brightly during the official press conference of the Woori Financial Championship.
[Photo by KPGA]

At a press conference for the KPGA Tour Woori Financial Championship held on the 24th at the Ferrum Club in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, he said, "Scottie is an incredibly hardworking player. He practically lives at the short game area," and added, "He is a player who possesses both mental strength and skill." Scheffler has been showing peak performance on the PGA Tour this year. He has established a dominant position by winning four times this season, including the Masters and RBC Heritage.

Im Sung-jae, participating in a domestic tournament for the first time in a while, said, "I am happy to participate in the tournament as the defending champion. I arrived in Korea yesterday afternoon and am a bit tired, but I will endure it well, adjust to the time difference, and play a good game." The tournament will be held over four days starting from the 25th, with a total prize money of 1.5 billion KRW. This is his first domestic appearance in six months since finishing as runner-up at the Genesis Championship last October. Im Sung-jae is sponsored by Woori Financial Group. He has won twice on the KPGA Tour, including the 2019 Genesis Championship.

Im Sung-jae expressed his expectations, saying, "If I win this week, it will be a confidence boost as I return to the PGA Tour in the middle of the season and prepare for important tournaments," and added, "I hope to enjoy each day, have fun, and provide fans with good shots and enjoyment." Regarding the course, he said, "I was surprised that the green speed is faster than last year," and hinted, "I think the greens will be fast tomorrow as well, so I plan to practice putting distance control more." He continued, "Because of the time difference, getting enough sleep will be important. Normally, I don't consume much caffeine during tournaments, but I will try to wake up with a cup of coffee," and laughed.

This year, Im Sung-jae has participated in 12 PGA Tour events, but his best finish was a tie for 5th place at the first tournament, The Sentry, in January. He missed the cut four times, showing a less stable performance compared to previous years when he was more consistent. He said, "My play wasn't that bad, but I didn't get the results I wanted. In the middle of the season, my short game and putting were especially off," and added, "Since I couldn't manage my score well, which is my strength, I lost strokes and made many bogeys, which was disappointing. However, my feel is gradually improving. I think you can look forward to my performance in the remaining tournaments."

Im Sung-jae needs to improve his FedEx Cup ranking and world ranking to qualify for the Paris Olympics. Right after this tournament, he plans to head straight to the U.S. to continue participating in PGA Tour events, including the CJ Cup in Texas starting on the 2nd of next month. "It's a tough schedule, but since both the Woori Financial Championship and the CJ Cup are sponsored by my sponsor, I feel a sense of responsibility and will do my best. My goal is to work hard at every tournament to improve my FedEx Cup and world rankings, and if I make it to Paris, I want to aim for a medal."