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Ahead of the 2023 Zozo Championship, Sungjae Im has come out to mark his readiness. The South Korean golfer revealed that he is eyeing to convert his recent run of good form into a third PGA Tour victory. Im can be expected to come out all guns blazing at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan this weekend.
The Korean Asian Games medalist finished tied for second in the Genesis Championship on the Korean PGA Tour last weekend. The 25-year-old is now looking to make a strong outing on his return to the PGA Tour after a month’s break. Im stated that he’s had ample practice in Japanese soil to make the outing count. The young golfer exuded confidence in his game, all the while noting that it’s “not easy to win on the PGA Tour.”
Opening up on his ambitions for the weekend, Sungjae Im said, as quoted by the Korea JoongAng Daily:
“I've been playing in Japan for several years and finished tied third in my first Zozo Championship in 2019, so I know the course well. I've been practicing well and conditions this week is good. If I can improve my driver accuracy, I think I can do well."
"It's not easy to win on the PGA Tour and I've had a few chances to contend for the title this season and it's unfortunate that I didn't capitalize on the chances. However, I think if I stay close to the top, I will have a chance to win again sometime soon. If I don't get impatient, if I don't get greedy, and if I keep working the way I've been practicing, I think I can win.”
It is pertinent to note that Im had a respectable finish this season. The golfer registered nine top-10s this season, including a strong FedEx Cup playoff. He entered the playoffs on the back of a T14 finish at the Wyndham Championship and finished T6 at the St. Jude Championship.
Im earned a solo 7th place in the BMW Championship, before signing off in August with a solo 24th in the Tour Championship.
Can Sungjae Im win the 2023 Zozo Championship?
Im will be eyeing the top prize this weekend at the $8.5 million Zozo Championship. The golfer will face ample competition from the likes of defending champion Keegan Bradley, World No. 6 Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott and local hero Hideki Matsuyama. Compatriots K.H. Lee and S.H. Kim will also be on the field.
According to SportsLine, Im has a respectable 18-1 odds to win this weekend. He will follow event favorites like Schauffele, Morikawa and Fowler on the list.
The golfer will be eyeing to replicate the success of fellow PGA Tour star Tom Kim, who won the Shriners Children’s Open last weekend. The 21-year-old’s successful title defence will be a major inspiration for the Asian golfer.
It’ll be interesting to see how the young golfer ends up on the Zozo Championship’s final leaderboard.
