Im proud to hold his own among big boys

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Our Correspondent
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Following the sole third at the BMW Championship, Sungjae Im will head to the Tour Championship in 12th position on the FedExCup standings. Photo: PGA Tour/Getty Images
Following the sole third at the BMW Championship, Sungjae Im will head to the Tour Championship in 12th position on the FedExCup standings. Photo: PGA Tour/Getty Images

Korea’s Sungjae Im secured solo third place at the BMW Championship on Sunday to qualify for his third successive TOUR Championship as compatriot K.H. Lee suffered a final-hole mishap which dashed his dream of getting into the FedExCup Playoffs Finale.

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Im fired a workman-like 5-under 67 to finish four shots behind the playoff duo of Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau at Caves Valley Golf Club, with Cantlay driving off with his third title of the season and fifth career PGA Tour win by prevailing with a birdie on the sixth extra hole following a breath-taking battle.

 

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The 24-year-old Im, who was chasing his second Tour victory, will now head to East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta in 12th position on the FedExCup standings. Through the staggered-start format, the Korean star will begin the first round at 3-under, seven shots behind Cantlay who starts at 10-under by virtue of being the new FedExCup leader in the elite 30-man field starting Thursday.

Lee agonizingly bogeyed the 18th hole from the middle of the fairway en route to a 67 and a share of 12th position. It left him in 31st place on the FedExCup standings, one shy of getting into the TOUR Championship.

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Needing a par at the last, the 29-year-old sprayed his approach from 195 yards into a waste area and failed to get his recovery shot on the putting surface. His fourth trickled past the hole, ending hopes of getting to East Lake.

A closing 66 by Si Woo Kim for a share of 29th position saw him end his season in 34th on the FedExCup. He needed a top-15 finish to extend his season while Japan’s Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama qualified for his eighth straight TOUR Championship despite finishing tied 46th at Caves Valley. He will start the Playoffs Finale in 22nd place.

Im was delighted with his fifth top-10 of the season, especially after finding his range with the flatsick. He ranked fourth in Strokes Gained: Putting and gained 6.15 strokes over the field on the greens. “The last couple tournaments, my putting was not right, but this week my putter improved. So this week I feel – compared to other tournaments, I feel comfortable to play,” said Im.

For the second straight day, he made crucial birdies on 17 and 18 from 10 and five feet respectively which helped secure solo third ahead of Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy. “When I got to 17 and 18, my feeling was so comfortable. I played a little bit aggressive there,” said Im, who made six birdies on the day all from inside of 12 feet.

PGA Tour

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