Im Sung-jae, Tom Kim tie for 16th at Masters 2023

Golf

Published: 10 Apr. 2023, 09:26 Updated: 10 Apr. 2023, 16:52

Im Sung-jae, Tom Kim tie for 16th at Masters 2023

Tom Kim, also known as Kim Joo-hyung, chips to the green on the second hole during the weather delayed third round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on Saturday in Augusta, Georgia. [AP/YONHAP]

Korean golfers Im Sung-jae and Tom Kim, also known as Kim Joo-hyung, finished within the top 20 at the Masters 2023 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Sunday.

Im and Kim tied for 16th on 2-under, 286, alongside Joaquin Niemann of Chile.

Kim shot a 2-under, 70, on Sunday to wrap up his tournament, his second finish under par following another 70 on Thursday. Im shot an even 72 on Sunday, but had managed a 67 on moving day. With a 71 on Thursday, Im’s chance of finishing higher up the table took a serious knock on Friday when he hit a 76.

Spain's Jon Rahm shot a 3-under-par 69 in the final round to earn his first Masters championship title.

Rahm, the 2021 U.S. Open winner, collected his second major championship by finishing at 12-under 276 for a four-stroke victory.

Brooks Koepka, who had been in the lead in some fashion since Thursday, tumbled in the final round with a 75 and ended up sharing the runner-up spot with Phil Mickelson (fourth-round 65).

The third round was completed Sunday before the fourth round commenced as the event tried to catch up from weather delays.

In what must have felt like a pack of previous Masters winners chasing him, Rahm remained steady. He was the only golfer to register three rounds in the 60s during the tournament.

Rahm moved to the front for the first time when Koepka bogeyed No. 6, his second bogey in a three-hole stretch. Rahm's birdie on the No. 8 made it a two-shot edge.

Mickelson had the best score of the final round — 10 strokes better than his third-round score.

Mickelson, who had the lowest single-round score in Masters history by a golfer age 50 or older, was finished when Rahm still had to navigate the backside.

Rahm's birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 put him in ideal position. His approach from the light rough on the 14th set up what became his final birdie.

Former Masters champions Scottie Scheffler (2022), Jordan Spieth (2015), Patrick Reed (2018) and Mickelson (2004, 2006, 2010) all moved within four shots of the lead Sunday afternoon.

Spieth (66), Reed (68) and Russell Henley (70) wound up sharing fourth place at 7 under. Spieth shook off a third-round 76 and two bogeys on the front side of the final round to reach 6 under for the tournament with three holes left. A birdie on No. 17 was negated by a bogey on the last hole.

Cameron Young (68) and Norway's Viktor Hovland (74), a tri-leader after Thursday's first round, tied for seventh at 6 under.

Koepka fell four shots behind Rahm before a birdie on No. 13. That stopped Koepka's streak of 22 straight holes without a birdie. He gave it right back with a bogey on the next hole.

Koepka completed the weather-delayed third round with a 73 on Sunday morning to move to 11 under. That was two shots ahead of Rahm, who also had 73 in the third round.

Koepka, aiming for his first Masters title and fifth major championship, had 12 holes to finish in the third round before embarking on the final round. Sahith Theegala (67) had his only sub-70 score in the last round and took ninth at 5 under, a spot ahead of Scheffler (70) and three others.

Patrick Cantlay had 68 for the best third-round score. His 75 in the final round caused him to fall from fourth place to a tie for 14th at 3 under.

Reigning U.S. Amateur champion Sam Bennett, a college golfer for Texas A&M, had 74 in the last round to share 16th place at 2 under.

Golfers began from the first and 10th tees for the fourth round.

Earlier Sunday, Tiger Woods withdrew from competition. He cited an ailing right foot in a Twitter post announcing the decision. Woods had 10 holes to complete in the third round and then would have had 18 more in the fourth round. He was at 9 over for the tournament.

BY JIM BULLEY, REUTERS [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]