With the eyes of the golfing world focused on the return of Tiger Woods, it was South Korea’s Sungjae Im who, at the end of the day, saw his name at the top of the Masters leaderboard.
Im fired an opening-round 5-under 67 to hold a one-shot lead over Australia’s Cam Smith at the 86th Masters tournament.
The 24-year-old, who finished tied for runner up in his 2020 Masters debut, carded five birdies, two bogeys, and one eagle on the day.
“I feel comfortable when I come to Augusta,†said Im through his translator. “I feel I can play well here every time.â€
Im followed up his Masters debut by missing the cut at last year’s tournament, largely due to struggles off the tee – an area he feels much more confident in this time around.
“I felt like my driving game was not as up to par as what it used to be, so I worked on my driving,†Im said. “The key to a successful round was having good tee shots, so that worked well today.â€
Im will look to join Y.E. Yang as the only golfer from South Korea to win a major title.
FanDuel Sportsbook currently has Im at +950 odds to win the Green Jacket.
