Sungjae Im: Is Young Standout FedEx Cup Contender or Pretender?
By Tim Letcher
Sungjae Im has the FedEx Cup lead at the moment. Can the South Korean win the title?
Sungjae Im has used a strong start to the season to grab the lead in the FedEx Cup standings. While Im has the lead at this point, can he really be considered a contender to win the season-ending FedEx Cup?
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Im has played in 14 events so far this season and has made 13 cuts. He has five top 10 finishes and eight top 25s.
Im won his first PGA Tour event by claiming the title at the Honda Classic in March. He also has a second place finish (Sanderson Farms Championship), a solo third place finish (Arnold Palmer Invitational) and a tie for third (Zozo Championship) so far this season.
His solid play through the early part of the season has him in a solid position to compete for the FedEx Cup, no matter what format the rest of the season and the playoffs use. Im currently has a 55-point lead over Justin Thomas in the standings and has accumulated enough points.
Im proved last season that he has the talent to play with the game’s best. In his first season on the PGA Tour, the native of South Korea had 35 starts and made seven top 10s. He eventually finished 19th in the FedEx Cup standings, the best for any rookie last season. In fact, he became just the 13th rookie to qualify for the Tour Championship in FedEx Cup playoff history.
Im, who is still just 22 years old, has shown the ability to make many birdies, something that keeps him in contention in most events. In fact, he led the Tour in birdies and eagles last season, a trend that seems to be continuing this year. Also this season, he has shown more consistency in his game, which has allowed him to make all but one cut and to earn FedEx Cup points (and prize money).
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Based on the type of season that Im has had so far in 2020, he’s definitely a contender for the FedEx Cup. The scary thing is that he’s just now finding his footing on the PGA Tour. As he gets more and more comfortable, he will be a force on the course in the years to come.