The post The best Presidents Cup prop bets: 3 picks our expert loves at Quail Hollow appeared first on Golf.

The post The best Presidents Cup prop bets: 3 picks our expert loves at Quail Hollow appeared first on Golf.

On paper, it’s looking like a beat down.

That’s how Vegas sees it, anyway.

With the 2022 Presidents Cup on tap this weekend at Quail Hollow, the 6.5-point spread in the Philadelphia Eagles/Washington Commanders game is not the most lopsided line in major sports.

Team USA vs. the Internationals takes that honor, with oddsmakers listing the Americans at -700, or 1 to 7 favorites.

You can still bet the Americans, of course. Or put your money on their underdog opponents.

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Just be warned: Andy Lack has no interest in either side of that wager. GOLF.com’s expert prognosticator is looking at the menu of proposition bets instead. Also known as props, these are wagers not tied to the final outcome of the event.

The prop board includes three plays Lack really likes.

You can check out his picks — and his reasoning — below.

If you’d rather make plays on the Presidents Cup without risking real money, download Chirp. The free-to-play mobile platform (and GOLF.com affiliate) has prizes to give away, including a $500 credit to the GOLF.com Pro Shop for Day 1. Check out the full slate of prizes here:

Andy Lack’s Presidents Cup Plays

Top Overall Points Scorer: Justin Thomas (10/1)

Odds available on FanDuel

There are three questions that we must keep in mind when betting top points scoring props for the Presidents Cup. How many matches will they play? Who will they partner with? And does their game fit Quail Hollow? Although official pairings will not be unveiled until Wednesday afternoon, Thomas is the safest bet to play every session. A veteran of team competition, Thomas holds a 6-2-2 record in the Presidents Cup, and carries a combined 6-0-2 record in four balls and foursomes.

Between Presidents and Ryder Cups, the world No. 7 has built a solid rapport with Jordan Spieth as a partner. This duo will be one to watch once again in Charlotte. As for course fit, Thomas won the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail, and ranks top-five among this week’s competitors in the following categories: driving distance, birdies or better gained, strokes gained off the tee, strokes gained around the green, strokes gained total on courses longer than 7,400 yards, and overall strokes gained per round at Quail Thomas should be the favorite in this market, and I’ll gladly back him at 10/1 to be the top overall points scorer. 

Top International Points Scorer: Sungjae Im (6/1)

Odds available on DraftKings

While I have less of a sense of the direction that International Captain Trevor Immelman will go with his pairings, Im and Hideki Matsuyama both feel like locks to compete in every session. No wonder they are co-favorites to be the top points scorer for the Internationals.

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I am generally not one to bet favorites, but the back end of the International team is so weak that I expect Immelman to do a lot of mixing and matching. Im is a top-three talent on the squad, and I expect him to be utilized heavily. A potential pairing with countryman and friend, Tom Kim, is one to keep an eye out for.

Quail Hollow is one of the longest courses that players will see all season, and over the last year, the world No. 19 has been the best long-iron player in the entire Presidents Cup. Sungjae Im to be one of the lone bright spots this week for the Internationals. 

Top Rookie Points Scorer: Sam Burns (5/1)

Odds available on DraftKings

I’ve been eagerly awaiting Sam Burns’ team competition debut, as I believe he possesses the ideal skill set for both this format and for Quail Hollow. The world No. 12 ranks top five out of all competitors in Strokes Gained: Putting on Bermuda greens, birdies or better gained, and SG: Off the Tee. With three of his four PGA Tour victories coming on Bermuda, Burns should be more than comfortable in Charlotte.

A wager on Burns is also a prediction that the LSU product will have the opportunity to play with his vacation buddy and close friend, Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked player in the world. A Burns/Scheffler pairing should be dominant, and even if Burns plays with Billy Horschel as well, I like their prospects. Zurich Classic teammates are competitive every single year at the New Orleans team event, held on a comparable Bermuda-grass course.

I believe United States captain Davis Love will use Burns heavily this week, making him the best value in the Top Rookie Points Scorer market. 

The post The best Presidents Cup prop bets: 3 picks our expert loves at Quail Hollow appeared first on Golf.

The post Who’s playing in the Presidents Cup? Meet the U.S. and International teams appeared first on Golf.

The post Who’s playing in the Presidents Cup? Meet the U.S. and International teams appeared first on Golf.

The stage is set for for the 2022 Presidents Cup where 24 of the PGA Tour’s top golfers — 12 from the United States and 12 from around the world (except for Europe) — will meet for the biennial matches.

Due to the pandemic, this will be the first Presidents Cup since 2019, when the Tiger Woods-captained U.S. team narrowly edged the Ernie Els-led International squad with a miraculous come-from-behind win in Sunday singles.

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The U.S. team holds a dominating 10-1-1 record in the matches and most expect a similarly dominate performance with LIV Golf defectors being ineligible to play in this year’s event and taking the hardest toll on Trevor Immelman’s International team.

Without further ado, let us introduce you to the players who are playing this year.

United States Team

*denotes captain’s pick

Captain: Davis Love III

Love was a six-time member of the U.S. Presidents Cup team and compiled a 16-8-4 record in those matches. Love — who was born in Charlotte, N.C., home of this week’s host, Quail Hollow Club — won 21 times on the PGA Tour, including one major win at the 1997 PGA Championship. He also notably won the 2015 Wyndham Championship at the age of 51, becoming the third-oldest winner in PGA Tour history. Love was an assistant captain on the 2013, 2015 and 2017 Presidents Cup teams and captained the 2012 and 2016 Ryder Cup teams.

Sam Burns

Career Presidents Cup record: First appearance

Burns may have been overshadowed by close friend Scottie Scheffler in the early part of the 2021-22 season, but the Louisianan had a break out year himself, winning three times, including taking down Scheffler in a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge in May. This will be his first appearance at either the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup.

Patrick Cantlay

Record: 3-2-0 in one appearance (2019)

Cantlay had another solid year in 2022, winning once while defending his crown at the BMW Championship in Wilmington and teaming up with Xander Schauffele to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He played all of his matches in 2019 with Schauffele and figures to do so again. Cantlay was also very successful at last year’s Ryder Cup where he compiled a 3-0-1 record at Whistling Straits, the one tie coming in the only match he wasn’t paired with Schauffele.

Tony Finau

Record: 0-1-3 in one appearance (2019)

The big-hitting Finau had a slow start to the season before catching fire over the summer, notching five top-5s in a stretch of eight events, including back-to-back wins at the 3M Open and Rocket Mortgage Classic in July. He somewhat surprisingly did not notch a win in his only Presidents Cup appearance in 2019. He only had one loss in four matches, however, and he’ll be looking for a new partner as both his partners from 2019, Matt Kuchar and Bryson DeChambeau, are not playing this year. He’s picked up three wins in his two Ryder Cups in 2018 and 2021.

Max Homa*

Record: First appearance

Homa comes in as perhaps the hottest player in the matches. He won in dramatic fashion last week at the PGA Tour season opening Fortinet Championship, holing a chip shot from off the 18th green to win. He also finished a career best tied for fifth in the Tour Championship in his previous start. This will be his first team match appearance.

Billy Horschel*

Record: First appearance

If you were shocked to learn Horschel is making his first ever appearance in either the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup this week, you’re not alone. Horschel’s career resume includes seven PGA Tour titles, including this year’s Memorial Tournament, and the 2014 FedEx Cup. He’s had a mixed bag of a season, missing four of last eight cuts on the PGA Tour, but with the win in Columbus sandwiched between two of them. He did earn a top 10 in his most recent appearance during his title defense at the DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship.

Kevin Kisner*

Record: 2-0-2 in one appearance (2017)

Kisner is the oldest player on Team USA’s roster and has become known as somewhat of a match play savant, including a win at the 2019 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and owning an undefeated record at the 2017 Presidents Cup. His best finish this past season was a second at — you guessed it — the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, but he did rack up five other top 10s. Kisner will also be looking for a new partner as he played with Phil Mickelson in all three team matches in 2017.

Collin Morikawa*

Record: First appearance

Morikawa came out just as hot as his first three years on Tour to begin this season with five straight finishes of T7 or better, but he fell back to earth a little toward the end of the year, his first on Tour without a win. Although he did lead the U.S. Open through 36 holes, he struggled Saturday and was out of contention by Sunday. The two-time major winner, who is still just 25 years old, showed better form at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August with a T5 finish, but needed to be one of Love’s six captain’s selections to make it to Quail Hollow. He led the U.S. team in qualifying for the Ryder Cup last year and went 3-0-1 at Whistling Straits, his lone tie coming in singles.

Xander Schauffele

Record: 3-2-0 in one appearance (2019)

Like Finau, Schauffele also had a strong end to the season, finishing in the top 20 in all but one of his last 11 events. Again, like Finau, he notched back-to-back wins at the Travelers Championship and Genesis Scottish Open. He also teamed with Cantlay for a team win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and figures to see a lot of his close friend whom he has a 4-2-0 record with in Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup matches.

Scottie Scheffler

Record: First appearance

Scheffler has come a long way from being a captain’s selection at last year’s Ryder Cup. The Texan notched his first four PGA Tour wins last season, including a major victory at the Masters, and earned the World No. 1 ranking. While he didn’t come away with the FedEx Cup title, PGA Tour Player of The Year honors are a decent consolation — as well as the $5.75 million he got for finishing T2 at East Lake. He went undefeated, going 2-0-1 at Whistling Straits, teaming with Bryson DeChambeau in two four-ball matches. He also beat Kisner at this year’s WGC-Match Play.

Jordan Spieth*

Record: 8-5-1 in three appearances (2013, 2015, 2017)

After missing the 2019 matches, Spieth is back on the U.S. team at just the right time. With stalwarts like Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed absent this year, Spieth and Justin Thomas are the only players with multiple Presidents Cup matches under their belt coming into the week. The 29-year-old notched a win at the RBC Heritage this season and finished a respectable tied for 13th in the FedEx Cup. He carries a career 16-12-4 record in U.S. team cup matches and played with Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed in all of his partner matches in 2015 and 2017. At last year’s Ryder Cup, he paired most often with good buddy Justin Thomas.

Justin Thomas

Record: 6-2-2 in two appearances (2017, 2019)

Thomas may not have met all of his preseason goals, but he notched 11 top 10s last season and his second major title at the PGA Championship. He brings with him the most impressive U.S. team match record, going 12-4-3 across two Presidents Cups and two Ryder Cups. In his two previous Presidents Cups, he paired with Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler and Daniel Berger, all of whom are not playing this week. He figures to play more with Spieth as he did twice at Whistling Straits.

Cameron Young*

Record: First appearance

Young had a debut season to remember, notching six top-three finishes and was one of two rookies to qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship. Those top finishes also include just missing out on the playoff at the PGA Championship by one stroke, and the memorable eagle finish at the Open Championship at St. Andrews to earn the runner-up spot.

International Team

*denotes captain’s pick

Captain: Trevor Immelman (South Africa)

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Immelman is the youngest captain in International team history at just 42 years old. The South African is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, including one major, holding off Tiger Woods to win the 2008 Masters. He’s also picked up six victories around the world on the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour. He’s a two-time veteran of the Presidents Cup and served as assistant captain under Ernie Els in 2019. Many fans will know him now for his broadcasting as he is expected to take over as the lead analyst for CBS’s golf coverage, following Nick Faldo.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout* (South Africa)

Record: First appearance

Bezuidenhout had a solid rookie year, making 20 cuts in 24 starts on the PGA Tour with 10 top-25 finishes. He’s perhaps better known in Europe, having a breakout year in 2020 while notching three victories including the Alfred Dunhill Championship. His best finish on the PGA Tour in 2022 was a T2 showing at the John Deere Classic and he advanced to the second FedEx Cup Playoff event at the BMW Championship. He’s one of five Presidents Cup first-timers selected by Immelman.

Corey Conners (Canada)

Record: First appearance

Conners played his way to the Tour Championship for the third time of his career thanks to 20 made cuts in 25 starts and four top-10 finishes. One of those top 10s came last month at the BMW Championship where he finished in T5, but he missed the cut last week in the PGA Tour’s season-opening Fortinet Championship. The Canadian has one win under his belt on the PGA Tour, coming at the 2019 Valero Texas Open.

Cam Davis* (Australia)

Record: First appearance

Davis notched five top-10s in 25 starts last season on the PGA Tour. His best golf came toward the end of the season when he made his last 10 cuts in a row. His best year on Tour came a season ago when he made 21 of 26 cuts and notched his debut win at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. His cuts-made streak broke last week at the Fortinet Championship where rounds of 74 and 70 sent him to Charlotte early.

Sungjae Im (South Korea)

Record: 3-1-1 in one appearance (2019)

The iron man of the PGA Tour, nobody plays more golf than Sungjae Im. Im had another strong season on Tour in 2021-22, winning for the second time at the Shriners Children’s Open and finishing strong with three T2 finishes in his last five events, including at the Tour Championship. The World No. 19 will be heavily relied upon as one of just four veterans on the International team with Presidents Cup experience. All three of his partners from Royal Melbourne — Adam Hadwin, Abraham Ancer and Cameron Smith — are not on the team this year.

Tom Kim (South Korea)

Record: First appearance

Kim burst onto the scene in 2022, finishing third at the Genesis Scottish Open, seventh at the Rocket Mortgage, and then capturing his first win at the Wyndham Championship in August to secure his PGA Tour membership and even qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. He was only a special temporary member when he won, but had earned enough points to get his full status for 2023. He’s now exempt through 2024 and he auto-qualified for the International team.

K. H. Lee* (South Korea)

Record: First appearance

Lee has two PGA Tour titles and both have come at the AT&T Byron Nelson. At this year’s tournament, Lee outdueled Jordan Spieth down the stretch to defend his title. The rest of his season wasn’t much to write home about, with almost as many missed cuts (7) as top-25s (8), until he used T20 and T5 finishes in the first two Playoff events to catapult his way into his first Tour Championship appearance.

Hideki Matsuyama (Japan)

Record: 6-7-4 in four appearances (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019)

Hard to believe the 30-year-old Matuyama is about to start his fifth Presidents Cup, but the Japanese star heads to Quail Hollow as the alpha of the International squad. It was another good year for the World No. 17 on the PGA Tour, finishing 11th in the FedEx Cup after winning twice, with one of those victories coming last fall in his home country at the Zozo Championship. Only one of his previous partners, Adam Scott, is on the roster this week and they haven’t played together since Matsuyama’s Presidents Cup debut in 2013.

Sebastián Muñoz* (Colombia)

Record: First appearance

Munoz hasn’t quite played up to the same level as he did in his breakout season in 2019-20 when he got his first win at the Sanderson Farms Championship and then went on to finish 8th in the final FedEx Cup standings thanks to a solid performance at East Lake, but his 2021-22 campaign was enough to earn a captain’s pick. He had two runner-up finishes on the season.

Si Woo Kim* (South Korea)

Record: 1-2-0 in one appearance (2017)

Kim was the only one of Immelman’s captain’s selections with previous Presidents Cup experience, winning a four-ball match and losing in foursomes and singles matches in New Jersey in 2017. That season was also the year of his signature win, The Players Championship. He won in early 2021 at The American Express, but has not played well as of late, only recording one top 10s in 21-22, last fall at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Both of his partners from 2017 are not on this year’s team.

Taylor Pendrith* (Canada)

Record: First appearance

Normally for a rookie, an injury can be devastating. Taylor Pendrith missed time between The Players in March and the Barbasol Championship in July because of a rip injury, but it didn’t stop him from earning nine top 25s in 16 starts. Since coming back from the injury, Pendrith finished worse than T13th once in six starts, including a tie for second at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and a tie for eighth at the BMW Championship.

Mito Pereira (Chile)

Record: First appearance

Heartbreak at the PGA Championship overshadowed what was otherwise a very respectable debut season on the PGA Tour for Pereira. He opened the year with a solo third at the Fortinet Championship and had two other top 10s, including at Southern Hills. Of course his season will be remembered for the leading the PGA through 71 holes, only to hit his tee shot in the water on 18, leading to a double bogey and missing the playoff. Pereira was rumored to be joining LIV Golf, but reportedly is waiting to jump so he could play in the Presidents Cup.

Adam Scott (Australia)

Record: 16-22-6 in nine appearances

The 42-year old hasn’t missed a Presidents Cup since 2001 and is by far the most experienced player on either team, having more appearances than the entire International team combined and as many as the entire American team combined. His 10th appearance will break his own record for the Internationals. He also has a chance to tie or pass Ernie Els’ International record of 21 points this week. Aging like fine wine, the 42-year-old didn’t win on the PGA Tour this year, but only missed two cuts all year and had five top 10s. His back-to-back T5s to start the FedEx Cup Playoffs helped him play his way into the Tour Championship from outside the top 70 at the end of the regular season. Matsuyama is the only teammate his paired with before on the International roster.

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The post Star leaderboard, big money and LIV Golf: The biggest storylines for Sunday at the Tour Championship appeared first on Golf.

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After a stormy Saturday, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Co.. will have plenty of golf to play on championship Sunday at the Tour Championship.

Third-round play, at 6:36 p.m. ET Saturday, was suspended for the second time due to lightning in the area, and the PGA Tour called play for the day shortly after 7 o’clock. Fourteen players, including leader Scheffler, will resume their third round at 9:45 a.m. Sunday.

Assuming no major delays on Sunday, the FedEx Cup will awarded, along with it the $18 million first-place prize.

With that, here’s four stories to follow for Sunday’s action:

Long day ahead

Thankfully, the Tour Championship features just a 29-man field, which will make it much easier to get everyone around the golf course on Sunday.

That said, the final twosome of Scheffler and Schauffele were in the 13th fairway when play was suspended, and will have five-and-a-half holes to complete when play resumes. Scheffler, who is even for the round and 19-under for the week, will sleep on a one-stroke lead over Schauffele, the smallest after any day of the tournament.

Many others in contention for the huge FedEx Cup bonus purse will be playing extra golf on Sunday. That is except for Justin Thomas, who has just a 2-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole left to play. That would get him to 15-under for the tournament.

Going down the leaderboard, Sungjae Im, in third, has four holes to play; Rory McIlroy, in fourth, has two holes remaining; and among those tied at 14-under and in a tie for fifth is the penultimate pairing of Jon Rahm and Patrick Cantlay, who will play their second shots to the 14th hole when play resumes.

Close race

Scheffler’s lead, which was at one point seven shots during Friday’s second round and started at two to begin the week, is now just one over Schauffele. Schauffele twice pulled even with Scheffler on Saturday, but the pair mostly held in place, with Scheffler playing even-par golf for 12 holes, and Schauffele shooting one-under.

What looked like a two-horse race at one point has become anything but, with eight players within five shots of the lead going into Sunday. Schauffele started the day two back of Scheffler, but four clear of anyone else.

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“I wasn’t playing my best, but I was kind of hanging in there,” Scheffler said in a brief media session. “I was looking forward to giving myself some opportunities at the end, but then the horn went off.”

Im has a 4-under round through 14 holes going to jump into third at 16-under. Rory McIlroy was 5-under and is at 15-under. There’s a group of four players at 14-under, including Thomas, who is very likely to move to to 15-under once he makes his shorty in the morning to cap off a round of 63.

Big money on the line

In case you haven’t heard, a ton of money is at stake, as this is the final event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. A total of $75 million is on the line Sunday, including $18 million to the winner.

Second place will net $6.5 million. Even the last-place finisher on Sunday will cash a considerable check, at $510k. Will Zalatoris technically finishes last because of his WD earlier in the week and gets $500k, but that is still more that Tour’s leading money winner from 1984 [Tom Watson] made that season.

LIV Golf rumors

Of course, no story talking about the PGA Tour and looking ahead these days can be done without mentioning LIV Golf. Several outlets reported Saturday that two golfers playing in the Tour Championship — Open Championship winner Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann — would be joining the controversial, Saudi-backed league.

Smith completed his third round on Saturday, firing a 2-under 68 to sit at 8-under and in a tie for 18th after starting the week sixth in the FedEx Cup standings and with a 4-under starting score.

Niemann still has four holes to play and is at 12-under and in a tie for 10th.

The reports indicate that both players, along with several others, including Harold Varner III, Mito Pereira and Mark Leishman, will be in the field for next week’s LIV Golf Invitational Boston.

Quotable

Scheffler on his Saturday night plans: “Just go home and get some sleep and food — sorry, food and then sleep.”

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Tiger is exceeding expectations. A former Masters runner-up leads the field. The hottest golfers in the world are right in the mix.

Sean Zak and Dylan Dethier break down the highlights of the opening round of the 2022 Masters.

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Sungjae Im fired a final-round 62 (9-under par) to win the 2021 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on Sunday at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas. The Titleist staffer uses a bag full of Titleist equipment, including 13 Titleist clubs, a Scotty Cameron putter and a Titleist golf ball.

Below, we break down exactly what gear Im used this week at the Shriners.

Driver: Titleist TSi2 (Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 7X shaft), 8 degrees

3-wood: Titleist TS3 (Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 8X shaft), 15 degrees

Hybrid: Titleist 818 H2 (Graphite Design Tour AD-DI Hybrid 105X shaft), 19 degrees

Irons: Titleist T200 (3-iron) and Titleist T100 (4-9 iron; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts)

Wedges: Titleist SM7 (48, 54 and 60 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts)

Putter: Scotty Cameron Flowback 5 tour prototype

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Want to overhaul your bag for 2021? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below!

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The post Sungjae Im rides bright-red scorecard to blowout Vegas victory appeared first on Golf.

In Vegas, sevens are typically the number of choice. On the slot machine, three sevens means you’re a big-time winner. On the blackjack table, three sevens makes 21.

But on the golf course, threes typically get the job done. Sungjae Im made a whole bundle of ’em on Sunday at TPC Summerlin en route to a rout at the Shriners Childrens Open.

Im began his final round in a share of sixth place. He cut into the lead with a birdie 3 at the first. He parred 2 and 3 and then really got going, reeling off eight birdies in his next 10 holes to break away from a crowded field. He made nine threes in his first 12 holes. He was nine under par through 13 holes. And then he coasted to the house with five par for a final-round 62 and a four-shot win in the desert.

Im continues to be younger — and better — than you think. He plays so well and so often that we’re used to his name on just about every leaderboard, but Im is just 22 and he’s now a two-time PGA Tour winner.

Instruction

His first victory came at the 2020 Honda Classic, his 50th start on Tour. His second victory came Sunday in start No. 100.

“It was very tough to get my first win, but I felt like the second one was harder and harder,” Im said immediately afterwards. “But I kept my patience. I tried to stay composed throughout the period and I’m glad it came.”

Midway through the round, the Shriners looked like anybody’s tournament. Hayden Buckley shot 63, posted 17 under and owned the early clubhouse lead. He finished T6. Adam Schenk began the day in the lead at 18 under. Rory Sabbatini shot 28 on the front nine. Marc Leishman birdied eight of his first 14 holes. That trio finished T3. And Matthew Wolff held a share of the lead early on. He wound up solo second.

But Im was the man to beat — and he wouldn’t be beaten.

“I mean, it was impressive and it was fun to watch,” said Chad Ramey, Im’s playing partner. “He deserves it, that’s for sure. He hit it well and his putter got hot. It seemed like if he wasn’t making pitches it looked like they were going in.”

“He played unbelievable,” Wolff added.

For Im, the win serves as a reminder of how much has changed since his last one. At the time of the 2020 Honda Classic, Im played so often he didn’t even have a home base — he just lived hotel to hotel, week to week. Now he has a new caddie, a new trainer, a new place of residence and a new trophy to store there.

“My caddie Billy, we started a couple weeks prior to the Olympic Games and he’s been a very good help to me, we’ve been a very good team working together, communicating,” Im said. “My trainer Andrew, we started at Phoenix, but as I got to my second and third year on Tour I felt the importance of conditioning and keeping myself stronger and healthy, so we’ve been working really hard and I’m glad it all turned out well.

“Buying a house in Atlanta, obviously hotel-to-hotel was not easy, but having somewhere to settle down, to have my house and Atlanta, it’s great to commute, it’s a huge airport, there are a lot of flights to everywhere, so it all came together very well.”

It’s fitting in some ways for Im to think of logistics in the immediate aftermath of his victory. He is, after all, golf’s modern Ironman. In the 2020-21 season, he played 35 events. Nobody played more. He’s showing no signs of slowing down. On the course, things looked similarly ho-hum, even as he fired at flagstick after flagstick.

“To be honest with you, I didn’t even know that I birdied five holes in a row,” he said. That’s what you say when you’re in the zone. Im admitted that zone has been difficult to find the last year, when he has posted dozens of solid results but hasn’t gotten across the finish line.

“Obviously when I’m playing well I feel great, but when I have a bad round I feel down easily,” he said. “I think I’ve done that the last 10, 12 months. But it’s a repetition every week and I learn from each week, and from that experience, I’m learning to control my emotions and everything on the course to stay composed, and I think this week it all paid off.”

As for celebration? Im said he’ll take tomorrow to soak in the win — and then he’ll be right back at it, preparing for the CJ Cup.

Just don’t expect to see him out at the tables tonight.

“I’ll have to swing by to see what it’s like, but I have no plans to go to a casino,” he said.

There would be no way to top his on-course win, even if he did.

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Sungjae Im first set a PGA Tour record. Then, he maybe carded another personal one. 

Im, on the par-3 2nd at East Lake Golf Club, hit his tee shot to 21 feet, hit his putt, then watched as his ball fell over the front of the cup during Sunday’s final round of the Tour Championship. He pumped his fist three times. 

No player, in 41 years of tracking, had now made as many birdies as Im had in a PGA Tour season. To celebrate, the normally stoic Im did something he likely hadn’t done in his 23 years of living. Three fist pumps from Im? Though Labor Day weekend doesn’t traditionally have fireworks, consider this an explosion. 

Im would tack on birdies on 10, 12, 14 and 18, and he’d finish with 498 birdies, five more than Steve Flesch’s previous mark, set in 2000. Since the Tour began tracking birdie totals in 1980, only three players have had 480 birdies or more in a season — Im this year, Flesch, Vijay Singh in 2004 (484) and Im in 2019 (480).

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Im, no doubt, was helped both by the fact that this is the first — and likely only — PGA Tour “super season,” with 50 events, starting with the U.S. Open last September, and the fact that Im is a super workhorse — he’s played 127 rounds over 35v tournaments. Still, one does not make birdies just by entering an event.  

“Who knows if that’ll be the Joe DiMaggio record on the PGA Tour,” announcer Dan Hicks said on NBC’s broadcast, referencing baseball’s record 56-game hitting streak. 

A look at the birdie leaders on the PGA Tour since tracking began in 1980:

1980: Andy Bean, 388 birdies, 104 rounds
1981: Vance Heafner, 388 birdies, 126 rounds 
1982: Andy Bean, 392 birdies, 109 rounds
1983: Hal Sutton, 399 birdies, 113 rounds
1984: Mark O’Meara, 419 birdies, 111 rounds
1985: Joey Sindelar, 411 birdies, 120 rounds
1986: Joey Sindelar, 415 birdies, 117 rounds
1987: Dan Forsman, 409 birdies, 121 rounds
1988: Dan Forsman, 465 birdies, 122 rounds
1989: Ted Schulz, 415 birdies, 114 rounds
1990: Mike Donald, 401 birdies, 114 rounds
1991: Scott Hoch, 446 birdies, 115 rounds
1992: Jeff Sluman, 417 birdies, 111 rounds
1993: John Huston, 426 birdies, 112 rounds
1994: Brad Bryant, 397 birdies, 109 rounds
1995: Steve Lowery, 410 birdies, 107 rounds
1996: Woody Austin, 422 birdies, 117 rounds
1997: Kelly Gibson, 424 birdies, 123 rounds
1998: Chris Perry, 404 birdies, 111 rounds
1999: Chris Perry, 468 birdies, 124 rounds
2000: Steve Flesch, 493 birdies, 123 rounds
2001: Brian Gay, 441 birdies, 114 rounds
2002: John Rollins, 463 birdies, 124 rounds
2003: Robert Gamez, 466 birdies, 114 rounds
2004: Vijay Singh, 484 birdies, 112 rounds
2005: Ted Purdy, 437 birdies, 122 rounds
2006: Daniel Chopra, 435 birdies, 110 rounds
2007: Briny Baird, 411 birdies, 115 rounds
2008: Steve Marino, 440 birdies, 119 rounds
2009: Bo Van Pelt, 395 birdies, 100 rounds
2010: Brendon de Jonge, 429 birdies, 114 rounds
2011: Blake Adams, 433 birdies, 116 rounds
2012: Brendon de Jonge, 425 birdies, 115 rounds
2013: Brendon de Jonge, 399 birdies, 110 rounds
2014: Jimmy Walker, 401 birdies, 98 rounds
2015: Danny Lee, 475 birdies, 120 rounds
2016: Si Woo Kim, 400 birdies, 113 rounds
2017: Charley Hoffman, 423 birdies, 112 rounds
2018: Austin Cook, 419 birdies, 107 rounds
2019: Sungjae Im, 480 birdies, 122 rounds
2020: Sungjae Im, 390 birdies, 94 rounds
2021: Sungjae Im, 498 birdies, 127 rounds

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The post Why there’s a lot on the line for South Korean golfers at the Olympics appeared first on Golf.

The post Why there’s a lot on the line for South Korean golfers at the Olympics appeared first on Golf.

Winning a medal at the Olympics is always a monumental accomplishment, but for the golfers representing South Korea, coming home with a piece of hardware would be, quite literally, life changing.

South Korean law states that all able-bodied men are required to start a 20-month military service by their 28th birthday. However, there are a few exceptions, including for athletes that medal at the Olympics.

For Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im, winning a medal is the only way to avoid putting their professional golf careers on hold.

“I know it’s true that if we earn a medal the Korean government will exempt us from serving military,” Kim said. “But I don’t really focus or think about the service in the military.”

Kim, 26, is making his first Olympic appearance in Tokyo. And with the next Summer Games occurring after his 28th birthday, Tokyo represents his last chance to win a medal and avoid conscription.

The 23-year-old Im will have one more Olympic opportunity at the 2024 Games (should he qualify) if he does not earn a spot on the podium this weekend.

Conscription in South Korea has existed since 1957 and several other notable golfers have served time in their home country’s military. Most recently, two-time PGA Tour winner Sangmoon Bae served his 20-month term from 2015 to 2017.

Both Kim and Im skipped the Open Championship to prepare for Olympic competition.

“I only think focus and think about the winning games,” Im said. “Not the military problem.”

Im tees off in the opening round at 9:25 p.m. ET on Wednesday night while Kim gets started at 9:03 p.m.

The post Why there’s a lot on the line for South Korean golfers at the Olympics appeared first on Golf.

The post Here’s why two top-50 golfers are skipping The Open Championship appeared first on Golf.

The post Here’s why two top-50 golfers are skipping The Open Championship appeared first on Golf.

The Open Championship field took a hit Friday afternoon as Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im withdrew from Royal St. George’s. The reason for their absence? Preparing for the Olympic Games.

While many of the game’s top players have spurned the Olympics, Kim, ranked No. 50 in the world, and Im, ranked 26th, are the first players to put an enhanced emphasis on the competition. And the reasoning is simple: each can avoid military conscription in their home country of South Korea if they manage to bring home an Olympic medal.

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All able-bodied South Korean men are required to start a 20-month military service by their 28th birthday. However, there are exemptions for athletes who manage to medal at the Olympics. This rule was instituted in the 1970s when the country’s government was looking to boost their prestige on the national stage.

Kim and Im’s decision to skip a major championship makes more sense when considering the context of their looming military conscription. With Kim turning 26 last week, this will be his last opportunity to collect a medal and avoid military service before his 28th birthday. Im, who is just 23, will have one more opportunity at the 2024 Olympics.

Two-time PGA Tour winner Sangmoon Bae served his 20-month term in the South Korean military from 2015 to 2017.

Kim and Im will be replaced in the Open Championship field by Emilliano Grillo and Keegan Bradley.

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The post Sony Open odds to win: Webb Simpson the favorite at second event of Hawaii swing appeared first on Golf.

The post Sony Open odds to win: Webb Simpson the favorite at second event of Hawaii swing appeared first on Golf.

As we head to the second leg of the PGA Tour’s Hawaii swing, Webb Simpson sits as the favorite to take home the title at the Sony Open. The No. 6-ranked player in the world has 12/1 odds to win this week according to golfodds.com.

Simpson has played the Sony Open 10 times in his career, with last year’s solo third finish representing the high-water mark. The 35-year-old has been in peak form over the last 18 months, two wins in that span and missing just two cuts.

The Tour’s most recent winner, Harris English, has the second-best odds at 14/1, and he is joined by Collin Morikawa. English will be making his ninth start at the Sony Open this week, while the 23-year-old Morikawa makes his second appearance.

Rounding out the top five is a revamped Daniel Berger and the always-steady Sungjae Im at 16/1 odds. Check out odds for the entire field below.

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Sony Open odds to win

Webb Simpson 12/1

Collin Morikawa 14/1

Harris English 14/1

Daniel Berger 16/1

Hideki Matsuyama 20/1

Joaquin Niemann 20/1

Cameron Smith 30/1

Abraham Ancer 30/1

Kevin Kisner 30/1

Ryan Palmer 30/1

Russell Henley 30/1

Adam Scott 35/1

Matt Kuchar 40/1

Billy Horschel 40/1

Lanto Griffin 40/1

Brendon Todd 40/1

Zach Johnson 50/1

Sergio Garcia 50/1

Charles Howell III 50/1

Jason Kokrak 50/1

Emiliano Grillo 50/1

Sebastian Munoz 50/1

Brian Harman 50/1

Marc Leishman 50/1

Kevin Na 60/1

Erik van Rooyen 60/1

Si Woo Kim 80/1

Carlos Ortiz 80/1

Chez Reavie 80/1

Keegan Bradley 80/1

Patton Kizzire 80/1

Talor Gooch 80/1

Matthew NeSmith 80/1

Brandt Snedeker 80/1

Rory Sabbatini 100/1

Russell Knox 100/1

Scott Piercy 100/1

Mackenzie Hughes 100/1

Cameron Davis 100/1

J.T. Poston 100/1

Tom Hoge 100/1

Branden Grace 125/1

Sepp Straka 125/1

Stewart Cink 125/1

Jim Furyk 125/1

Takumi Kanaya 150/1

Charley Hoffman 150/1

Brendan Steele 150/1

Chris Kirk 150/1

Doug Ghim 150/1

James Hahn 150/1

C.T. Pan 150/1

Kyle Stanley 150/1

Matt Jones 150/1

Peter Malnati 150/1

Henrik Norlander 150/1

Brian Stuard 150/1

Michael Thompson 200/1

Richy Werenski 200/1

Brice Garnett 200/1

Adam Schenk 200/1

Jhonattan Vegas 200/1

Austin Cook 200/1

Will Gordon 200/1

Pat Perez 200/1

Danny Lee 200/1

Andrew Landry 200/1

Bo Hoag 200/1

Mark Hubbard 200/1

Brian Gay 200/1

Luke List 200/1

Robert Streb 200/1

Keith Mitchell 200/1

Nick Taylor 250/1

Anirban Lahiri 250/1

Xinjun Zhang 250/1

Kramer Hickok 250/1

Ryo Ishikawa 250/1

Andrew Putnam 250/1

Hudson Swafford 200/1

Troy Merritt 250/1

Harry Higgs 250/1

Nate Lashley 250/1

Vaughn Taylor 250/1

Wesley Bryan 300/1

Sung Kang 300/1

Tyler McCumber 300/1

Robby Shelton 300/1

Jimmy Walker 300/1

Ryan Armour 300/1

Bronson Burgoon 300/1

Hank Lebioda 300/1

Rob Oppenheim 300/1

Roger Sloan 300/1

Jim Herman 300/1

MJ Daffue 300/1

Nick Hardy 300/1

Ted Potter Jr 300/1

Aaron Baddeley 300/1

Jamie Lovemark 400/1

J.J. Spaun 400/1

Chris Baker 400/1

Mark Anderson 400/1

Sam Ryder 400/1

Nick Watney 400/1

Chase Seiffert 400/1

Scott Brown 400/1

Kyoung-Hoon Lee 400/1

Grayson Murray 400/1

David Hearn 400/1

Jerry Kelly 400/1

Kevin Tway 500/1

Fabian Gomez 500/1

Michael Gligic 500/1

Satoshi Kodaira 500/1

D.J. Trahan 500/1

Ben Taylor 500/1

Ryosuke Kinoshita 500/1

Jinichiro Kozuma 500/1

Rhein Gibson 500/1

Tim Wilkinson 500/1

Brandon Hagy 500/1

William McGirt 500/1

K.J. Choi 1000/1

Michael Gellerman 1000/1

Nelson Ledesma 1000/1

Matt Every 1000/1

Parker McLachlin 1000/1

Rafael Campos 1000/1

Mike Weir 1000/1

Vijay Singh 1000/1

Davis Love III 1000/1

Y.E. Yang 1000/1

Hunter Mahan 1000/1

Bo Van Pelt 1000/1

Michael Kim 1000/1

Shane Bertsch 1000/1

In-Hoi Hur 1000/1

Andres Gonzales 1000/1

Martin Trainer 2000/1

Evan Kawai 3000/1

Eric Dugas 3000/1

The post Sony Open odds to win: Webb Simpson the favorite at second event of Hawaii swing appeared first on Golf.