DUBLIN: Korean star Im Sung-jae secured a timely boost ahead of the US Open after notching his sixth top 10 finish of the season at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday as American Billy Horschel cruised to a comfortable four-stroke victory.
The 24-year-old Sung-jae concluded his campaign at Muirfield Village on Sunday with a solid three-under 69 to finish tied 10th, jumping 25 rungs from his overnight position to end the week on four-under 284, nine shots back of Horschel who lifted his seventh US PGA Tour title.
Ranked inside the top-15 for Driving Accuracy and Greens in Regulation for the week, Sung-jae proved his game was in tip-top shape despite a month-long break from competition after contracting Covid-19 while in South Korea for a domestic tournament last month.
It also forced him to miss the PGA Championship, the year’s second Major, but with another tied 15th finish in the previous week’s Charles Schwab Challenge under his belt, Sung-jae is excited ahead of the US Open which begins June 16.
“I feel great now,” said Sung-jae. “I didn’t play for four weeks, but I (also) finished T15 last week, so I feel good.”
The highlight of his final day was a superb birdie putt from 35 feet at the par-four, 10th hole.
In all, Sung-jae recorded five birdies, including two over the last three holes, against two bogeys at the Jack Nicklaus-hosted Memorial Tournament, which is one of three elevated events on the PGA Tour with a US$12mil (RM53mil) prize purse.
“First of all, I kept fairways on most holes, that was good. And I hit some good irons, and that helped me get good chances,” said Sung-jae, who missed his last two cuts at Muirfield Village and finished tied 57th in his debut in 2019.
“But it is little disappointed that I didn’t make more birdies even though I had many chances. I think that I played well on a difficult course.”
With one victory to his name this season, Sung-jae is projected to rise two spots to 14th on the FedExCup standings and will also consolidate his position on the International Team ranking for the Presidents Cup later this year after starting the week in third place.
Compatriot Kim Si-woo, the 2017 Players Championship winner, produced a superb comeback to emerge as Asia’s next best finisher in tied 13th place.
After bogeying the first and eighth holes, he responded brilliantly with birdies at the 11th, 13th and 15th holes to sign for a third successive 71.
C.T. Pan of Taiwan closed with a 74 for T53 alongside another Korean K.H. Lee, the first-round co-leader, who signed off with a disappointing 82.
