Lim Seong-jae (25, CJ Logistics) underwent a physical examination for conscription. It was the morning of the 15th, the day after the 5th stroke reversal drama at the KPGA Korean Tour Woori Financial Championship, which ended on the 14th. After receiving the new sword, Lim Seong-jae departed by plane in the afternoon and participated in the PGA Championship, the second major tournament of the PGA Tour season that opened on the night of the 18th.
Just because Im Seong-jae received a new sword, it would not mean that he is going to the army right away. Even so, why did he bother to receive a new sword around this time? Presumably, it is related to the Hangzhou Asian Games, which will be held in September. In an interview on the 14th, he said, “In a way, the Asian Games are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so the individual event is also an individual event, but the goal is for us to win a gold medal in the team event as the four of us are good at concentrating.” Prior to the opening of the Woori Financial Championship, Lim Seong-jae said that he encouraged Jo Woo-young and Jang Yu-bin, who were participating in the Asian Games together, to eat and said, “You guys are really important.”
In the interview, I felt a firmness that is not seen in ordinary 25-year-olds. The answers were logical and unobtrusive. When talking about golf technique, he seemed more confident.
I was most curious about it. It was the third bunker shot on the 18th hole (par 5), which became the decisive blow. He placed the ball from 50m exactly to the pin 1.5m away, then made a birdie to settle the game.
Im Seong-jae said, “The 50m bunker shot is the most difficult for PGA Tour players. So I practiced a lot of long-distance bunker shots,” he said.
Surprisingly, the club Lim Seong-jae grabbed at this time was a pitching wedge, not a sand wedge. He heard the reason in terms of tips for weekend golfers. Im Seong-jae said, “The longer the club, the thicker it fits, so the distance goes a little longer. So I think it’s better to hit it with a longer club the farther the distance is,” he explained. “Then you can prevent topping without overdoing your swing.”
Im Seong-jae also won his second win on the KPGA Korean Tour. Interestingly, it was a come-from-behind victory by 7 strokes in the Genesis Championship, his first win four years ago, and this time by 5 strokes.
There is another driving force that has established itself as a ‘master of reversals’. He is the cheer of the gallery. Im Seong-jae said, “I was a bit proud of myself because I thought, ‘I still did well on the PGA Tour.
He said that winning domestically is good, but he also revealed that he wants to quickly win the PGA Tour this season. In order to do so, there is nothing that needs to be improved. “In terms of the long game, I want the driver to go 10 yards more,” he said. “You always have to complement the short game. Driver and Long Lion are by no means inferior to the top players, but the short game is different.”
Im Seong-jae, who showed a cool reaction to the world rankings 1st to 3rd, Scotty Scheffler (USA), and Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), said, “It’s difficult to play against them.” It’s because I hit it with a short club.” Among them, he said that there is a difference of 30 yards between McIlroy and McIlroy who hit the farthest.
In response to the question,안전놀이터 “What kind of player do you want to be?” Im Seong-jae said, “I want to represent Korea as much as I can on the PGA Tour. I want to run for more than 20 years,” he said, “there will be juniors who surpass me, but I will always try to become the best player among Korean players.”
Lastly, he did not hesitate to give advice to his juniors who regarded him as a role model. Im Seong-jae said, “You must apply for the Korn Ferry Q School when you are young. It is highly probable to challenge when you are 20 or 19 years old.”