2024 Valspar Championship: Top 10 power rankings at Innisbrook
ValsparChampionship/PowerRank/9. 9. OWGR: 35th. FedEx Cup: 37th. Sungjae Im
After a couple years away, Sungjae Im is back at the Valspar Championship.
Yes, one of the greatest workhorses in pro golf does take events off from time to time.
Im has good reason to put this event back on his schedule. The South Korean debuted with a T-4th finish (70-67-71-70) in 2019 and added T-29th (68-67-74-71) in 2021.
Im arrives at Palm Harbor coming off T-31st in his last start last week at the Players Championship. It was his fourth finish of 31st or better in nine starts in 2024. The highlight was T-3rd at The Sentry.
Im posted par or better in all four rounds at TPC Sawgrass (70-72-69-70). He ranked fourth in the field in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (4.319) and 15th in SG: Around-the-Green (2.378).
His approach numbers were middle of the pack, though they might have been a bit better if not for some bad luck. Im had 126 yards into the par-4 seventh hole. He struck a beautiful shot that was destined for the hole until it was diverted by his own pitch mark.
Unluckiest break of the week? 😮
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 16, 2024
Sungjae Im's approach would've gone in had it not hit his own pitch mark. pic.twitter.com/n9YCQmDJKK
Sometimes it’s just not your week.
Im has won in Florida before at the 2020 Honda Classic. He’s also got two third-place finishes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The 25-year-old is looking to tighten up his dispersion patterns this season. However, he’s ninth on the PGA Tour in average approach proximity from the rough (38’11”).
Im also leads in scrambling from inside 10 yards and is a perfect 31-for-31.