Under the unique scoring system at the Tour Championship, South Korean player Im Sung-jae will begin the final PGA Tour playoff event at two-under par Thursday in Atlanta.
He will be eight strokes behind Scottie Scheffler, who will enjoy that advantage under the "starting strokes" format as the top-ranked golfer in the FedEx Cup standings.
But Im may have Scheffler exactly where he wants him.
At last year's Tour Championship, Scheffler was also the FedEx Cup points leader and started at 10-under. Im was four-under entering the first round, but by the end of the competition, Im had caught Scheffler, as the two tied for second place at 20-under, one behind the champion, Rory McIlroy. Im shot a final round of four-under 66, while Scheffler staggered to a 73.
The question begs then: can Im make up even more ground this time at East Lake Golf Club?
"To contend for the title, I'd have to play as well as I did last year. But if I can enjoy myself each day, I think I should be in contention in the end," Im said in an online interview with South Korean media Wednesday night, or Tuesday morning in Atlanta. "On this course, you have to stay patient."
The Tour Championship is open only to the top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings following two playoff events. By ranking 17th, Im has qualified for his fifth consecutive Tour Championship. He has played in more Tour Championships than any other South Korean player since the current playoff format was put in place in 2007.
With the Tour Championship played at the same Atlanta course each year, Im has a clear idea of how he should approach the tournament.
"Fairways are narrow here, and with thick Bermuda rough, you won't get good lies if you miss the fairway," Im said. "But it's not such a long course. You should try to keep the ball in the fairway on par-4s, because there aren't too many dangerous areas around the greens. Par-3s can be difficult, but you should try to pick up your par and move on."
Im has matched his career high with nine top-10 finishes this season. One of the tour's most consistent players since his Rookie of the Year campaign five seasons ago, Im went through a dry spell earlier this year, missing three cuts in a four-tournament span.
Im has come on strong of late, with back-to-back top-10s at the onset of the playoffs to crack the top 20 in FedEx Cup points, even though he admittedly didn't putt as well as he could have.
Im has been stuck at career win No. 2 since October 2021, but if his short stick gets hot, then look out.
"Winning on the PGA Tour is really not easy. I'd obviously love to get another win quickly. But I am more focused on maintaining this form and playing consistent golf," he said. "Even though I haven't putted well the last two weeks, I was still able to finish in the top 10. If I can get my putter going, I should be able to contend for titles."
Im said he doesn't think he will change much even if he wins the Tour Championship over who's who in men's golf today.
As for the US$18 million bonus money awarded to the winner, Im doesn't have any plans to indulge himself or go on a spending spree.
"I think the money will just go straight into my bank account," Im said with a smile. He has made just under $6.5 million so far this year and has earned about $23.4 million for his career. "I think that number will jump out at me, though. That's a massive amount of money."
After the Tour Championship, Im will be gearing up for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. The first round of the men's competition there is Sept. 28.
With pros allowed to compete for the first time, Im will be joined by fellow PGA Tour veteran Kim Si-woo. Two amateurs, Cho Yoo-young and Jang Yu-bin, will also tee off in China.
By winning gold in the team event, all four players will earn exemptions from mandatory military service.
"All the guys are playing well," Im said. "I think we are more than capable of winning the team gold medal."
Source: Yonhap News Agency