No bogey for two days, good start Lim Sung-jae, 3rd place in the PGA Tour opener, and 2 billion won in prize money to win the most under par at the Matsuyama PGA

Jan 06, 2025

KAPALUA, HAWAII - JANUARY 05: Sungjae Im of South Korea reacts after finishing on the 18th green during the final round of The Sentry 2025 at Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club on January 05, 2025 in Kapalua, Hawaii. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Sarah Stier / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Lim Sung-jae finished the PGA Tour opener in third place, raising expectations for the season.

On the last day of the PGA Tour The Sentry (total prize money of $20 million) held at the Plantation Course (par 73, 7,596 yards) in Maui Island, Hawaii on the 6th (Korea time), Lim Sung-jae reduced eight shots to eight birdies without a bogey in the fourth round, recording a total of 29 under par 263. Im Sung-jae, who came in third place alone after Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, who won the title at 35-under 257, and second-place Colin Morikawa of the U.S. (32-under 260), received $1.36 million (about 2 billion won).

In the third round held the previous day, Lim Sung-jae jumped from a tie for 13th to fourth place alone, recording 11 under par with a brilliant play with one eagle and nine birdies without a bogey.

The season opener where only the winner of last season's tour tournament and the top 50 players in the FedEx Cup standings participate. This year, a total of 59 participants competed in the fourth round without missing the cut. The Sentry is one of the PGA Tour's signature tournaments held eight times a season, with a total prize money of $20 million at stake.

Matsuyama, who won the PGA Tour at 35 under par, the most under par in history, and achieved 11 wins on the tour, lifted the trophy for the first time in five months since the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August last year. The prize money is 3.6 million dollars (about 5.3 billion won). Eleven wins on the tour are the most won by an Asian player on the PGA Tour. Second place is Choi's eight wins.

Ahn Byung-hoon and Kim Si-woo, who were tied for 36th at 10-under par until the previous day, reduced their shots by 6 strokes each, recording 16-under 276 strokes overall, finishing the tournament tied for 32nd.

KAPALUA, HAWAII - JANUARY 05: Sungjae Im of South Korea plays his shot from the 18th tee during the final round of The Sentry 2025 at Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club on January 05, 2025 in Kapalua, Hawaii. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Maddie Meyer / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

KAPALUA, HAWAII - JANUARY 05: Sungjae Im of South Korea putts on the 13th green during the final round of The Sentry 2025 at Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club on January 05, 2025 in Kapalua, Hawaii. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Sarah Stier / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Sungjae Im waves after making his shot on the fourth green during the final round of The Sentry golf event, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Sungjae Im hits off the ninth tee during the final round of The Sentry golf event, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Matt York)

The following is Lim Sung-jae's question and answer with the PGA Tour.

-He finished the first tournament of the season in third place. How do you feel.

▶I'm so happy that I finished third. I hope it will go well this season because it started well from the first competition.

-Played a bogey-free match in the 51st hole this week, and what went well.

▶I don't think I've seen it for two days. It was a good play even to me. I think it's a relief. It was windy again today, but I think I made a good save.

-How do you think this week's performance will affect this season.

▶I'm going to take a break next week and start with Palm Springs. I am going to take a rest next week, practice, and prepare for the next competition. I hope the rest of the season's competitions go well.

-What did you focus on in the pre-season.

▶One of the goals was to win a lot of FedEx Cup points from the beginning. I was able to win a lot of points from the first competition, so I put down the burden a little. But it's just beginning. I hope this season ends well step by step.

-Do you think you can win three games.

▶I won three years ago and haven't heard much from him. It would be nice to win this season, but I don't come because I want to win. There are many players who play so well and many young players. I want to work harder and win my third championship.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.