Sungjae Im Bio
Sungjae Im, born on 30 March 1998 in Cheongju, South Korea, is a South Korean professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the Korean Tour. Standing 6 feet 0 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds, Im turned professional in 2015 and quickly built a reputation as one of the hardest-working young players in the sport. He earned the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award for the 2018–19 season and captured two PGA Tour titles, beginning with The Honda Classic in March 2020.
Im has also competed on the European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, and the Korn Ferry Tour, the rebranded name of the former Web.com Tour. His professional victory total stands at seven, a figure that reflects steady progress across multiple tours. Known for his durability, Im has led the PGA Tour in starts and cuts made during key seasons, underscoring his consistency and competitive stamina.
Early Life and Background
Sungjae Im was born on 30 March 1998 in Cheongju, a city in the north-central region of South Korea. From an early age, he gravitated toward golf, a sport with deep roots in South Korean amateur and professional circuits. His upbringing in Cheongju placed him in close reach of training facilities and competitive junior tournaments that have produced many of the country’s leading golfers.
Im later attended Korea National Sport University, an institution known for nurturing elite South Korean athletes across several sports. His college years helped him balance academic coursework with the demands of competitive golf. The structured training environment at the university played a role in shaping his disciplined approach to the game.
By his late teens, Im had committed to pursuing golf at a professional level. His decision to turn professional in 2015, at the age of 17, reflected both his confidence and the rapid development he had shown in amateur and developmental events.
Path to Professional Golf
After turning professional in 2015, Im began his career outside the PGA Tour, gaining experience on developmental circuits in Asia. In 2016 and 2017 he competed on the Japan Golf Tour, where his best finish was a tie for second place at the 2017 Mynavi ABC Championship. He finished 12th on the Japan Golf Tour money list in 2017 and ranked fifth in scoring average, a strong indicator of his ball-striking consistency.
Im also played selected events on the Korean Tour during this period. His best Korean Tour result in those early years was a tie for second at the 2017 T-up Gswing Mega Open, which reinforced his growing profile in his home country.
In December 2017, Im entered the Web.com Tour qualifying school and finished second overall. He opened the 2018 Web.com Tour season with a victory at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic, becoming the second-youngest winner in Web.com Tour history at 19 years and 292 days old. Only Jason Day, who won at 19 years and 238 days, had been a younger champion on the circuit.
Sungjae Im Career
Early Career (2015–2017)
Im’s early professional years were spent building a track record across Asian tours. On the Japan Golf Tour, he posted multiple made cuts and a notable runner-up finish at the 2017 Mynavi ABC Championship. He paired that result with a strong scoring-average finish and a top-15 position on the money list.
On the Korean Tour, Im showed similar promise. His tie for second at the 2017 T-up Gswing Mega Open stood as his most notable result in that span. Together, these performances on the Japan Golf Tour and the Korean Tour helped establish him as a player ready to test himself on a larger stage.
Web.com Tour Breakthrough (2018)
The 2018 Web.com Tour season marked Im’s breakout year in the United States. After opening with a win at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic, he added three solo runner-up finishes at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic, the Knoxville Open, and the Pinnacle Bank Championship. He then closed the regular season by winning the WinCo Foods Portland Open, a result that secured his position at the top of the regular-season money list.
Im was named both the Web.com Tour Player of the Year and the Web.com Tour Rookie of the Year in 2018. These awards confirmed his status as the circuit’s most impactful first-year player and earned him a PGA Tour card for the following season.
PGA Tour Breakthrough (2018–19 Season)
On the PGA Tour, Im made an immediate impression during the 2018–19 season. He became only the 13th rookie to qualify for the Tour Championship in the FedEx Cup era, ultimately finishing 19th in the final standings. Im led the PGA Tour that season with 35 starts and 26 cuts made, while his 118 total rounds were 18 more than the next-closest player.
He recorded seven top-10 finishes in 2019, highlighted by a tie for third at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and ranked 17th in strokes gained for the season. Im joined Stewart Cink as the only players to earn both the Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year and the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in consecutive seasons, a rare double that underscored his smooth transition.
Honda Classic Victory (2020)
On 1 March 2020, Im captured his first PGA Tour title at The Honda Classic, played at PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He closed with a final-round 66 to finish at 6 under par, one stroke ahead of Mackenzie Hughes. The win moved him to second place in the FedEx Cup standings and marked the arrival of a new PGA Tour champion.
Later that year, Im finished tied for second at the Masters Tournament in November 2020, five shots behind champion Dustin Johnson. That performance represented his strongest major championship result to that point and confirmed his place among the tour’s elite competitors.
Shriners Children’s Open and Beyond (2021–2023)
On 10 October 2021, Im won the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, Nevada, earning his second PGA Tour title in his 100th career start. He shot a final-round 62 to win by four strokes over Matthew Wolff, rallying from three shots back at the start of the day.
Im also represented the International team at both the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia and the 2022 Presidents Cup. At the 2019 event, he posted a 3–1–1 record, including a Sunday singles win over Gary Woodland, although the United States team won the competition 16–14. At the 2022 Presidents Cup, he recorded two wins, one tie, and two losses across five matches.
In May 2023, Im traveled to South Korea the week before the PGA Championship to play the Woori Financial Group Championship on the Korean Tour. He closed with a 68 that included an up-and-down birdie on the final hole, winning by one shot and adding a Korean Tour title to his résumé.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Im’s signature moments, the 2018 Bahamas Great Exuma Classic win made him the second-youngest champion in Web.com Tour history, while the 2020 Honda Classic victory delivered his first PGA Tour title. His tie for second at the 2020 Masters Tournament remains his best finish in a major championship, and his 9-under 62 to win the 2021 Shriners Children’s Open stands as one of his most dramatic closing rounds.
Sungjae Im Career Wins
Sungjae Im has accumulated seven professional victories across the PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, and Korean Tour. His win total reflects success at multiple levels of competitive golf, from developmental circuits in the United States to established tours in South Korea.
PGA Tour Highlights
Im has earned two PGA Tour titles. His first came at The Honda Classic in March 2020, where a final-round 66 at PGA National lifted him to 6 under par and a one-stroke win over Mackenzie Hughes. His second PGA Tour victory arrived at the 2021 Shriners Children’s Open, where a closing 62 at TPC Summerlin produced a four-shot win over Matthew Wolff.
Korn Ferry Tour Highlights
Im’s two Korn Ferry Tour wins both came during the 2018 season. He opened the year by winning The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic, becoming the second-youngest winner in tour history. Later in the regular season, he captured the WinCo Foods Portland Open, helping him clinch the top spot on the regular-season money list.
Korean Tour Highlights
Im has recorded three Korean Tour wins during his career. His most recent Korean Tour victory came at the Woori Financial Group Championship in May 2023, where a final-round 68 and a birdie on the last hole secured a one-shot win.
Sungjae Im Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public biographical sources do not detail Sungjae Im’s parents or broader family background. Information about his upbringing centers on his hometown of Cheongju and his education at Korea National Sport University rather than on a well-documented family sports lineage.
Personal Life
Im maintains a low public profile regarding his personal life. He is not publicly known to be married, and details about a spouse or children have not been disclosed in verified sources. His professional commitments on the PGA Tour and Korean Tour remain the primary focus of his public record.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 PGA Tour season, Sungjae Im continued to hold status as a fully exempt player based on his prior achievements. His major championship résumé features a tie for second at the 2020 Masters Tournament, a tie for seventh at the 2024 Open Championship, a 22nd-place finish at the 2020 U.S. Open, and a tie for 17th at the 2021 PGA Championship. Those results positioned him as a consistent contender on the game’s biggest stages.
Im’s experience across the Presidents Cup in 2019 and 2022 has also strengthened his reputation as a reliable team competitor in match play. His blend of long-iron ball striking and steady temperament has made him a player to watch in signature events and major championships alike.
Looking ahead through 2025, Im remains focused on adding to his two PGA Tour titles and pursuing a breakthrough major championship victory. His track record across multiple tours suggests that he will continue to be a regular presence in the final groups of PGA Tour events as the season unfolds.
