Im Sung-jae entered the final round with a three-stroke lead at the Valspar Championship. He had led wire-to-wire through the first three rounds, raising expectations of his first victory in four years and five months.
But erratic shot-making derailed his final round. Im's driving accuracy was just 46% and his greens in regulation rate was 33.3%. By comparison, eventual champion Matt Fitzpatrick of England — who closed with a three-under final round to claim the title — posted 61.5% driving accuracy and 55.5% greens in regulation, underscoring just how much Im's ball-striking faltered on the final day.
Im finished with a three-over-par final round on Sunday at the Copperhead Course (par 71) at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Florida, ending the PGA Tour Valspar Championship ($9.1 million purse) at eight-under 276, tied for fourth. Despite raising hopes of a victory, the final-round stumble left him settling for his first top-10 finish of the season. His world ranking climbed 15 spots to No. 67.
