Sungjae Im Issues Statement Addressing LIV Golf Rumours
The South Korean was forced to respond to speculation following his withdrawal from the Travelers Championship
Sungjae Im has put an end to speculation linking him with a move to the LIV Golf Series following his withdrawal from the Travelers Championship, insisting he is "fully committed to the PGA Tour."
The South Korean was replaced in the field at TPC River Highlands by Ryan Armour on the eve of the first round, with rumours immediately circulating that he was set to follow the likes of Abraham Ancer and Brooks Koepka in joining the controversial Saudi-backed circuit.
However, Im quickly set the record straight, revealing that a recent injury forced him out of action, before adding he has no plans to leave the PGA Tour.
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"I would like to address the public as there seems to be speculation regarding my withdrawal from the Travelers Championship," Im wrote.
"I have been dealing with some back pain over the past few days, which hasn't improved. I decided to rest and get treatment in order to be able to finish the season strong.
"Rest assured that I am fully committed to the PGA Tour. It has been my lifelong dream to compete on the PGA Tour and I am blessed to have this platform to be able to play with and against the best players in the world.
"For the record, I would also like to state publicly that I have no affiliation with, and have no intention of discussing an affiliation with, the LIV Tour.
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"I am hoping for a speedy recovery and I look forward to seeing you at a PGA Tour event soon!"
It's not the first time false reports have emerged linking players to the Greg-Norman fronted attempt to form a global breakaway golf league. Two-time Major winner Collin Morikawa was also forced to deny rumours that he was considering leaving the PGA Tour for pastures new.
Morikawa wrote: "To state for the record, once again, you all are absolutely wrong. I’ve said it since February at Riviera that I’m here to stay on the @PGATOUR and nothing has changed. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some cereal to pour in my milk."
A lifelong golf fan, Andy graduated in 2019 with a degree in Sports Journalism and got his first role in the industry as the Instruction Editor for National Club Golfer. From there, he went on to enjoy a spell freelancing for Stats Perform producing football reports, and then for RacingNews365 covering Formula 1. However, he couldn't turn down the opportunity to get back into the sport he grew up watching and playing and now covers a mixture of equipment, instruction and news for Golf Monthly's website and print title.
Andy took up the game at the age of seven and even harboured ambitions of a career in the professional ranks for a spell. That didn’t pan out, but he still enjoys his weekend golf at Royal Troon and holds a scratch handicap. As a side note, he's made five holes-in-one and could quite possibly be Retief Goosen’s biggest fan.
As well as the above, some of Andy's work has featured on websites such as goal.com, dailyrecord.co.uk, and theopen.com.
What's in Andy's bag?
Driver: Callaway Mavrik Sub-Zero (9°)
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (15°)
Driving iron: Titleist U500 (17°)
Irons: Callaway Apex Pro '19 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM9 (50°, 54° and 58°)
Putter: TaylorMade Spider X
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
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