"If a chance to win comes in this tournament, I will give it my all."
Im Sung-jae, who competes on the U.S. PGA Tour, pledged victory at his sponsor's tournament.
Im made the remarks Thursday at a press conference for the 2026 Woori Financial Championship (total prize money of 1.5 billion won) held in the press room at Seowon Valley Country Club (par 71) in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. "After consecutive wins, I posted a disappointing result last year. This year, I want to show a better performance," he said.
Sponsored by Woori Financial Group, Im has briefly stepped away from the PGA Tour each year since 2022 to compete in this event.
He won the tournament in both 2023 and 2024, thrilling the fans who visited the course.
However, he missed the cut in the 2025 event and hung his head.
Im, who struggled with a wrist injury early this year, said, "My recent form since the injury has not been bad." He added, "I lost strokes easily when rounds did not go my way, but my overall swing has been good. I see it positively."
After injuring his right wrist last winter, Im began his 2026 season in early October and has recorded one top-5 finish in the six tournaments he has entered.
"There are not many fans cheering for me on the PGA Tour, but the atmosphere is different in Korea, which gives me strength," he said. "I think I will gain great energy through this tournament."
Defending champions Lee Tae-hoon and Lee Jeung-hwan also attended the press conference. Lee Tae-hoon, a Korean-Canadian, is competing on LIV Golf this season, while Lee Jeung-hwan is also playing on the DP World Tour starting this year.
"The KPGA Tour has a different environment from the PGA and LIV Golf, but I will do my best to defend the title," Lee Tae-hoon pledged.
Lee Jeung-hwan said, "I am not used to flying to tour events, but I am adapting well and working hard."
He added, "In some tournaments early in the season, about 10 Korean fans held up the Korean flag to cheer for me, and I was very grateful. I have missed Korean galleries so much, and I will gain great strength through this tournament."
The tournament will feature 144 players competing over four days starting Friday for a total purse of 1.5 billion won, with 300 million won going to the winner. The champion will receive a two-year KPGA Tour exemption and 1,000 Genesis Points.
