Who is Sungjae Im?
He’s a South Korean with multiple PGA Tour wins, but who is Sungjae Im? Find out more with our profile on the man here…
Sungjae Im is one of the leading South Koreans in the professional game, with PGA Tour wins and Presidents Cup appearances during his young career.
Born in Cheongju in South Korea, it was at an early age that Im picked up the game. He first started playing at the age of 4, and it would not be long before people began to take notice. He spent much of his junior days playing alongside or against compatriot Si Woo Kim, and would go on to turn professional in 2015, at the age of just 17.
After a couple of years without success, 2018 saw the youngster propel himself into the public eye. He won twice on the Web.com (now Korn Ferry) Tour, claiming the season-long Money List title, as well as being named both the Rookie of the Year and the Player of the Year for the tour. Thanks to finishing at the top of the list, he graduated to the PGA Tour for the 2019 season.
To date, Im has two wins on the PGA Tour, with the first of those coming at the Honda Classic in 2020, before then winning the Shriners Children’s Open a year later. Im has also played on the team stage during his career, representing the International Team at the Presidents Cup on multiple occasions.
Sungjae Im | Player Profile
Personal Information
Name: Sungjae Im
Born: March 30, 1998
Nationality: South Korea
Residence: Cheongju, South Korea
Career
College: Korea National Sport University
Turned Pro: 2015
Professional Wins: 7
Highest World Ranking: 16 – February 7, 2021
Best Results In Majors
Best Finishes:
– Masters Tournament – T2 (2020)
– PGA Championship – T17 (2021)
– US Open – 22nd (2020)
– Open Championship – T7 (2024)
Professional Wins – 7
2018 (2) – The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic, WinCo Foods Portland Open
2019 (1) – Genesis Championship
2020 (1) – Honda Classic
2021 (1) – Shriners Children’s Open
2023 (1) – Woori Financial Group Championship
2024 (1) – Woori Financial Group Championship
Achievements and Awards
Web.com Tour Rookie of the Year – 2018
Web.com Tour Player of the Year – 2018
Web.com Tour Money List Winner – 2018
PGA Tour Rookie of the Year – 2019
Asian Games Individual Silver Medal – 2022
Asian Games Men’s Team Gold Medal – 2022
Sungjae Im | What’s In His Bag?
The South Korean is a Titleist staffer, with clubs from the brand throughout his bag, barring a Scotty Cameron putter. Im also uses the TItleist Pro V1 in play.
You can read more about what’s in Sungjae’s bag in our full piece here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Sungjae Im
When and where was Sungjae Im born?
Sungjae Im was born in March 1998 in South Korea. He began playing golf at the age of just 4, after following his mother to an indoor facility.
When did Sungjae Im turn professional?
Sungjae Im turned professional in 2015 at the age of just 17. He spent time on the Japan Tour and Korean Tour, before finally tasting success.
How many professional titles has Sungjae Im won?
As of August 2024, Sungjae Im has won seven times as a professional golfer, with two of those coming on the PGA Tour. He won the Honda Classic in early 2020, before then winning the Shriners Children’s Open a year later. The Korean also has victories on the Web.com Tour and Korean Tour.
Did you Know?
PGA Tour at Im’s Home Club
Im grew up playing golf at The Club at Nine Bridges. The venue, based in Jeju-do, hosted the first three editions of the CJ CUP (2017-2019) on the PGA Tour. Justin Thomas won twice, with Brooks Koepka also being victorious on Korean soil.
Runner-Up in First Augusta Appearance
Im’s first appearance at Augusta National came in the postponed 2020 edition, which took place in November. He finished in a tie for 2nd alongside Cameron Smith, as Dustin Johnson equalled the major scoring record to win by five shots.
Web.com Tour Triple
Sungjae Im’s start to life as a professional golfer was relatively quiet, until he made his debut on the Web.com (now Korn Ferry) Tour in 2018. That year, he claimed his first two titles – winning The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic and the WinCo Foods Portland Open – on route to claiming the Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year awards. He also topped the Money List to secure an impressive triple.
Other Sungjae Im Articles
What do you make of Sungjae Im’s career so far? Can the Korean go on to win major titles? Let us know with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
