Impossible is what Asian stars are fighting for in FedExCup Playoffs

Golf

Published: 09 Aug. 2023, 14:54 Updated: 09 Aug. 2023, 17:56

Impossible is what Asian stars are fighting for in FedExCup Playoffs

Im Sung-jae plays his shot from the fourth tee during the second round of the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York on May 19. [AFP/YONHAP]

There is one particular statistic about the FedExCup that serves as a reminder why it is billed as the ultimate prize on the PGA Tour. Since its inauguration in 2007, only 13 golfers have managed to get their hands on the glittering, season-long trophy — out of a possible 2,709 over the past 16 seasons.

The odds of winning are slim, 0.48 percent to be exact, but the reward is gargantuan as the FedExCup champion earns a cool $18 million. The road to golf’s glory, though, demands utmost consistency across the season, and peaking during the Playoffs which begins with the FedEx St. Jude Championship this week, the first of three Playoffs events limited to the top-70 players.

An Byeong-hun plays his second shot on the 9th hole during Day Two of the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in Berwick, Scotland on July 14. [GETTY IMAGES]

Five Asian stars — Korean quartet Tom Kim, also known as Kim Joo-hyung, (ranked 14th), Kim Si-woo (18th), Im Sung-jae (32nd) and An Byeong-hun (37th) and Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama (57th) — will tee up at TPC Southwind in Memphis knowing fully well no Asian golfer has yet to win the FedExCup.

It seems like it is "Mission: Impossible" for any of them to upset the odds and upstage the likes of current FedExCup No. 1 Jon Rahm, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy, who enters the Playoffs ranked third and seeking an unprecedented fourth crown as the season-long master.

But truly, impossible is what the Asian players are fighting for over these next three weeks.

Tom Kim tees off on the 4th hole during the final round of The Open at Royal Liverpool in Liverpool on July 23. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

In the history of the game, Asian men golfers were never regarded as favorites to claim any of golf’s four majors. Then, Korea’s Yang Yong-eun delivered the impossible when he came from behind to upset Tiger Woods during his prime at the 2009 PGA Championship. Woods had never lost a major in his previous 14 major victories while holding the 54-hole lead. Later in 2021, Matsuyama rewrote more golf history by becoming the first Asian to claim the green jacket at the Masters Tournament.

An, 31, remembers watching Yang’s historic triumph over Woods which served as an inspiration as he went on to become the youngest ever to win the U.S. Amateur just two weeks after Asia’s major milestone. “Obviously the first Asian, first Korean to win a major championship... it was very impressive,” said An.

“We all got the confidence seeing an Asian do it and a few weeks later, I won the U.S. Amateur. I bet it gave a lot of us the confidence that we can do it too. There is also K.J. [Choi] before us. They showed us that it can be done,” added An, who is making a return to the Playoffs for the first time since 202

Matsuyama is fighting to make the top-50 and qualify for next week’s BMW Championship in his hopes of extending an impressive streak of having qualified for nine consecutive Tour Championship, the Playoffs Finale, which is a record amongst active players. In 2017, he entered the Playoffs ranked No. 1 on the back of three wins and three runner-up finishes during the Regular Season but his game cooled off with a T23 being his best finish in the Playoffs as he settled for eighth position in the final FedExCup standings. Spaniard Rahm is in pole position heading into this week following an four victories and six top-10s.

Kim Si-woo tees off on the 4th hole during the first round of The Open at Royal Liverpool in Liverpool on July 20. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Matsuyama is aware of Asia’s drought on the PGA Tour’s biggest stage.

“Competing here, there are many players from different countries, and to not yet have a player from Asia win is something that motivates me. I’d be very happy if more people believed that a player from Asia could win it,” said Matsuyama, who jointly holds the record of most PGA Tour victories by an Asian golfer with eight titles.

Im has come the closest at winning the Tour’s biggest prize. Last season, he battled courageously against McIlroy and Scheffler before finishing tied second. “I think that was great,” said Im, who is a two-time Tour winner.

His current form, though, isn’t exactly on fire, with three top-25s in his last five starts but he knows he can light it up in the Playoffs. “It is coming back,” said the 25-year-old, who is ranked 10th amongst the best scoring average in Playoffs history and also 10th in one-putt percentage.

Fresh from a runner-up finish last week and a top-3 at the Genesis Scottish Open, the in-form An believes the goal is to first get into the Tour Championship, limited to the top-30, which then gives them a shot at the FedExCup. “I think the confidence is there. As far as winning the FedExCup, I think the primary goal is to get to the Tour Championship first.”

BY CHUAH CHOO CHIANG [kjdsports@joongang.co.kr]