Im Sung-jae Sets Personal Best with Hole-in-One at CJ Cup

Im Sung-jae smiles while holding his ball and scorecard after his hole-in-one. [Photo by Kang Sang-hun]

Im Sung-jae recorded his third hole-in-one on the PGA Tour and set a personal best score of 61, marking a significant step toward his first tour victory in over four years.
On May 23, during the second round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, Im shot a 10-under 61, which included one hole-in-one, one eagle, and seven birdies, with only one bogey.
Im's score of 61 is a new personal best on the PGA Tour, surpassing his previous record of 62 set at the Wyndham Championship in August 2019.
Starting on the 10th hole (par 4), Im made four birdies by the 17th hole (par 3) and continued his momentum with birdies on the 1st (par 4), 3rd (par 4), and 5th holes (par 5).
He achieved a lucky hole-in-one on the 7th hole (par 3), marking his third hole-in-one in a PGA Tour event, following ones at the 2019 Players Championship and the Military Tribute that same year.
Adding an eagle on the 9th hole (par 5), Im finished the day with a total of 10 strokes under par. With a cumulative score of 13-under 129, he was the first to complete the round and topped the morning leaderboard.

Im Sung-jae. [Photo by Kang Sang-hun]

After the round, Im expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating, "Overall, it was a satisfying day. My tee shots, iron shots, and putting were all good. I was surprised by the hole-in-one, as I thought it was a good shot, but I didn't expect it to go in." He added, "I’ll keep the lucky ball in my bag."
His playing partner, Jordan Spieth, applauded Im's hole-in-one, saying, "The shot Im made was one of the most beautiful hole-in-ones I've ever seen. It was even better than any hole-in-one I've made."
Riding this momentum, Im is aiming for his third career win, which would be his first since the Shriners Children's Open in October 2021. He remarked, "When my shots are feeling good, I feel like I can compete for the win. This week feels like my third opportunity. If the weather is good this weekend, I think I can play aggressively on this course. If the greens cooperate, I should have plenty of birdie opportunities. I want to capitalize on this momentum."
Im also expressed confidence in his ability to compete for the title, noting, "It’s been about 4 to 5 years since I last won. However, I’ve been in contention twice this year, and those experiences have been very helpful. Competing for the win brings its own pressure and nerves, but having gone through it once this year, I plan to manage my emotions and focus on my game."

* This article has been translated by AI.

Kang Sang Heon ksh@ajunews.com