Sungjae Im Facts: 25 Things To Know About South Korean PGA Tour Star

Sungjae Im is one of the best Korean golfers of his generation, with the Jeju Island native earning his way to the PGA Tour via an incredible debut season on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Get to know his life and impressive career better with these facts...

Sungjae Im facts:

1. Im grew up in golf-mad Jeju Island and first started playing golf when he was four-years old because he followed his mum to an indoor practice facility. Just four years later, Im beat his father for the first time.

2. Im grew up playing The Club at Nine Bridges, which later hosted The CJ Cup tournament on the PGA Tour.

3. It was clear he had talent for the game. He got his first coach at 7, joined a Korean golf academy at 12 and then turned professional at 17 in 2015. 

4. Whilst playing junior golf tournaments he would often compete against fellow professional Si Woo Kim.

5. He began playing on the Japan Golf Tour and finished 12th on the money list in his first season.

6. He made it through Korn Ferry Tour Q-school in December 2017 after shooting a round of 60 to his his 2018 Korn Ferry Tour card.

7. He won in his first start on the Korn Ferry Tour at the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic to become the second-youngest winner in the tour's history at 19 years, 292 days.

8. Im won on the Korn Ferry Tour again in August at the WinCo Foods Portland Classic.

9. He was named Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year in 2018 and earned his PGA Tour card after topping the money list.

10. His parents (Ji Taek Im and Mi Kim) followed him to every tournament on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

11. He was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2019.

12. He was the second player after Stewart Cink to win the Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year and PGA Tour Rookie of the Year titles in consecutive years.

13. He led the PGA Tour in birdies made in his rookie year with 480. He also made 18 eagles to lead that category, too.

14. He led the PGA Tour in hole-outs with 25 in both 2019 and 2022-23.

15. Im again led the PGA Tour in birdies for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons with 390 and then 498.

16. He had two holes-in-one during the 2019 season, from 233 yards at the 15th hole during the first round of A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier and on the 13th hole at TPC Sawgrass during the second round of The Players Championship.

17. He qualified for the 2019 Presidents Cup International team, where he won three matches, halved one, and lost one in a very impressive display.

18. Im won his maiden PGA Tour title at the 2020 Honda Classic at PGA National, where he beat Mackenzie Hughes by one stroke.

19. He finished T2nd in his Masters debut in 2020.

20. He won his second PGA Tour title at the 2021 Shriners Children's Open in Las Vegas, beating Matthew Wolff by four strokes.

21. He has three wins on the Korean Tour.

22. He qualified for his second Presidents Cup in 2022, where he won two matches, tied one and lost two.

23. Im's favorite dish is Jeju Black Pig and whilst travelling around the United States he regularly searches for Korean restaurants.

24. He never uses a ball with the number 4 on it because in South Korea the number represents death.

25. He uses a full bag of Titleist clubs including ball.