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Im Sung-jae eyes PGA redemption as he targets title wins in 2025

Published: 01 Jan. 2025, 12:29 Updated: 01 Jan. 2025, 16:10

Im Sung-jae watches his shot on the second tee during the second round of the Hero World Challenge PGA Tour at the Albany Golf Club, in New Providence, Bahamas on Dec. 6, 2024. [AP/YONHAP]

Korean PGA star Im Sung-jae is eager to claim a title in the 2025 season after enduring a challenging “slump” during the first half of last season.

Im, 26, reflected on his 2024 PGA campaign during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, at a golf course in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, in December.

“I went through a slump I hadn’t experienced in the past five years,” Im said. “I was mentally shaken to the point where I didn’t even feel anger any more.”

The two-time PGA Tour winner struggled in the first half of the season, failing to make the cut in six tournaments. Despite the setbacks, he managed five top-five finishes during that period and secured a victory at the KPGA Woori Financial Group Championship in April.

Im Sung-jae poses for a photo during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo in Seongnam, Gyeonggi in December 2024. [KO BONG-JUN]

“I remember failing to make the cut at the Masters [Tournament] in April, which meant I couldn’t compete in the third round,” Im said. “Even then, I practiced on the course. I didn’t want to hate my golf club, but I held onto it because I wanted to channel my frustration through practice.”

Im’s determination paid off in the second half of the season, where he made the cut in all nine tournaments he entered and earned four top-10 finishes. By the end of the season, he had amassed $6.2 million in prize money.

However, his third PGA Tour title remained elusive, with a tied-third finish at the Travelers Championship in June marking his best result of the season.

Im said that the prize money is secondary. “For a player, results — especially titles — are what truly matter. I haven’t won a title since the Shriners Children’s Open in October 2021. My goal for next year is to win a title.”

Im will not have the chance to win the Shriners Children’s Open again in the 2025 season, as the tournament has been removed from the schedule.

He departed for Hawaii on Dec. 29, ahead of the 2025 season opener, the Sentry Tournament of Champions, which begins Thursday.

“I want to achieve strong results at the majors,” Im said. “I hope to complete the season without injuries and extend my streak of qualifying for the final playoffs [the Tour Championship] for the seventh year in a row.”

In the PGA Tour’s FedExCup format, the top 70 golfers in the standings qualify for the playoffs, which consist of three tournaments. The FedEx St. Jude Championship kicks off the playoffs, with the top 50 golfers advancing to the BMW Championship. From there, the final 30 players qualify for the Tour Championship.

The 2025 season offers Im numerous chances to secure another title, with 39 tournaments scheduled between January and December. The Masters, the first major of the season, tees off in April.

BY KO BONG-JUN [[email protected]]