AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Par-3 Contest on the Masters is meant to deliver nothing however bum luck for this easy motive: No one who has received it has gone on to win the inexperienced jacket 4 days later.
So it was one thing of a shock Thursday when first-round chief Sungjae Im revealed that one supply of inspiration for his lights-out, 5-under 67 was “some good vibes from my dad” that he acquired from a shot his father executed throughout the rain-shortened Par-3.
“He hit an awesome shot at No. 9,” Im mentioned by means of an interpreter, “and that was an thrilling day for me.”
Ji Taek Im, the participant’s previous man, was an enormous hit on the ultimate gap of the competition. Sporting his white caddie jumpsuit, he took an amateurish hack at his tee shot and landed it 4 ft left of the flag, drawing howling laughs from his son and different execs, and a full spherical of hearty high-fives.
“It’s positively a memorable day,” Sungjae Im mentioned. “I didn’t anticipate a lot. … I keep in mind the group behind us, we have been on the tee field — Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns and Billy Horschel. They have been simply having enjoyable and having a crack at my dad, and it bought me, too, so I used to be laughing.
“However as soon as he hit the shot, it was probably the most stunning shot I’ve seen. It was like knowledgeable shot. It was positively a enjoyable day and a memorable one.”
Maybe not fairly as enjoyable and memorable as Thursday, when Im put himself in place to do what he virtually did in 2020, when he completed in a tie for second behind Dustin Johnson within the pandemic-delayed November Masters in his Augusta Nationwide debut. That was the South Korean’s introduction to an American golf viewers that, 17 months later, spent the day transfixed by Tiger Woods’ exceptional comeback whereas Im slid by means of the backdoor and into the lead by outplaying Tiger by 4 strokes.
“I really feel like I can play nicely right here each time,” mentioned Im, citing his 2020 breakthrough. “I believe [the course] suits my recreation. It requires tee-to-green good pictures total, and to place the pictures into spots the place I've an opportunity to assault the inexperienced is necessary. … General [2020] is a good reminiscence that I’ll stick with it with me. Simply to complete runner-up right here within the Masters is a feat that I actually am happy with. However we’re solely someday in. … I simply need to hold this momentum going and attempt to end nicely this week.”
Im, 24, opened his spherical with three consecutive birdies, however the gap that vaulted him to the highest of the leaderboard was the par-5 thirteenth, the place he hit a hybrid into the inexperienced earlier than sinking an eagle putt. He now has an opportunity to comply with final 12 months’s champ, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, because the second Asian participant to win the Masters.
“I don’t need to take into consideration overachieving something at this second,” Im mentioned. “I nonetheless have loads of days to play, and there are loads of gifted gamers out right here on the Masters. However speaking about Hideki’s win final 12 months, I've my utmost respect for him. I’ve watched him play since I used to be a child, and hopefully good issues will occur.”
Hopefully, for Im’s sake, he'll hit a shot on Sunday’s again 9 as stunning because the one his dad hit Wednesday within the Par-3.
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