2021 Honda Classic: Top 10 power rankings at PGA National
The defending Honda Classic champion has got to like his chances at a repeat. Sungjae Im not only comes to PGA National playing steady golf, but he’s got a weaker field to contend with in 2021.
We’ll start with his recent form.
The young South Korean star posted T-17th last week at the Players Championship, his sixth straight top-32 finish.
Im hasn’t won since the 2020 Honda Classic, but he’s had some close calls. He nearly won a week later at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (3rd), posted a career best at the majors by taking T-2nd at the Masters and was T-5th at the Tournament of Champions.
Im debuted at PGA National in 2019. It was an up and down week that saw him shoot 64 on Friday and 77 Saturday on the way to T-51st. He returned a year later and was in far better control.
Rounds of 72-66-70-66 produced a one-shot win over Mackenzie Hughes. Im put on a stripe show, leading the field in strokes gained tee to green (3.31 per round). He putted poorly the first three rounds but finally got a hang of the greens to gain over two strokes on the greens on Sunday.
For the season, the 22 year old ranks sixth on the PGA Tour in SG off the tee (.707) and 44th in putting (.43). Add in 10th in driving percentage (69.68%) and there’s lots of reasons to roll with Im.
It’s his fourth week playing in a row, but he’s a workhorse who snuck in two weeks off prior so I’m not too concerned of fatigue.