Slow and steady, Ironman Im delivers high point for Asia in 2020  12:43, 16/11/2020

By Chuah Choo Chiang

As 2020 comes to a close following an unprecedented year in sport in which COVID-19 threatened to overshadow this great game, the 22-year-old rising star has stood out and delivered a bright ray of hope which has brought about a renewed sense of belief that Asian golf is very much in safe hands, no matter how slow Im’s backswing may be.

Im, whose introduction to the game was at the age of three when his mother put a plastic club in his hands, has maintained his meteoric rise by lifting a first PGA TOUR title at The Honda Classic in March and then finishing as the leading Asian in 11^th place in the 2020 FedExCup final standings.

His career rise had begun two years ago when he led the Korn Ferry Tour money list from start to finish following two victories and three runner-up finishes and Im was named the circuit’s Player of the Year, the youngest at age 20, to ever win that award. The Korean powerhouse then produced seven top-10s to earn Rookie of the Year honours on the PGA TOUR and put the icing on a memorable 2019 campaign with a standout performance at the Presidents Cup where he delivered 3.5 points for the International Team, which included a 4&3 thumping over Gary Woodland in the singles.

Not only did Im produce the largest cheer for Asia with his Honda heroics, he also had a fleeting brush at the coveted FedExCup at the seasons-finale TOUR Championship. Following superb rounds of 68 and 64 in Atlanta in August, he entered the weekend only one back of leader Dustin Johnson but nerves got to him as he settled for 11^th place. He enjoyed a measure of consolation by dislodging Hideki Matsuyama as the region’s top finisher on TOUR, a position the Japanese star has held over the past six seasons since 2014.

“The fact that I was able to get my first win in just my second year on TOUR, and to also win on a tough course meant a lot to me. Winning early on in my career has given me a lot of self-confidence. It led me to believe that I can chase after that second and third victory and it has become a catalyst for me to work even harder out here,” said Im as he reflected on his year.

Due to his brand of golf which is built around clockwork consistency, Im has earned various nicknames on the PGA TOUR, including “The Machine”, “Iron Byron” and “Ironman Im”. Mackenzie Hughes, who was beaten into second place by Im at The Honda, called his final round duel with the Korean “man versus machine.” The Canadian said: “I’m the man, hitting shots in bunkers and hitting the grandstands, and he’s just like a machine. It was really impressive.”

Im has vowed to get better, stronger and faster when the New Year arrives and make improvements from some lessons learnt in 2020, including the disappointing finish in the FedExCup Playoffs. “I was off to a great start, but not the rounds I wanted (after that). I was definitely a little disappointed but I’ll keep preparing and practicing. I did feel a lot of pressure and nerves. The experience was valuable and it will definitely help me contend in future events,” he said.

Other top Asian performances were duly delivered by Matsuyama, who enjoyed 15 top-25 finishes including five top-10s and Xinjun Zhang, who became the first mainland Chinese golfer to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs thanks to seven top-25s and three top-10s and finished 78^th in the final standings.

Zhang, who grew up in a farming village in China, was over the moon with his efforts. “I am so excited to compete with the best golfers and accumulate experiences. Trying to win is the objective of every player, and it’s the same for me. A small step leads to a thousand miles and what I can do is to focus on every tournament and every swing. I believe if I take small steps and continuously make improvements, I am closer and closer to becoming a PGA TOUR champion.”   

Im’s backswing was more orthodox previously but he slowed it down in his search for consistency with his ballstriking. “During my first year on the Japan Tour, I realized my shot consistency wasn’t there. I experimented with my backswing tempo and it ended up working out really well, so ever since, I have changed my backswing tempo to where it is now.”

And it will be the kind of million-dollar backswing that will ensure his and Asian fortunes on golf’s biggest stage remain on the upswing.