2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational: Top 10 power rankings at Bay Hill
Three’s a company for Sungjae Im at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The South Korean star debuted at Bay Hill in 2019 by tying for third place with rounds of 71-69-71-68 and taking third alone in 2020 with rounds of 70-69-74-73.
He was just three and two shots off the winning pace, respectively.
Im’s ball striking is what sets him apart. That’s important at a place like Bay Hill where mistakes can be penalized severely.
“This is a really difficult course, so there are holes that you need to play conservative,” Im was transcribed by ASAP Sports in 2020. “I want to put a lot of thought into my shots, but also know when to be aggressive when there’s an opportunity. There is definitely a lot of strategy involved.”
It was a little disconcerting to see iron man Im take two whole weeks off on the California swing, but one would have to believe the new Atlanta resident will be competing a lot in the south coming up.
Im’s lone PGA Tour win was in Florida at the 2020 Honda Classic.
He ranks 10th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained off the tee (.627) and is very accurate (69.41% fairways).
As long as Im’s hitting greens and keeping the wedges in the bag as much as possible, there’s no reason why he can’t contend yet again at Bay Hill.
Im’s begun 2021 with four top-32s, no missed cuts and a T-5th at the Tournament of Champions.