IRONMAN IM

CAPABLE OF PUTTING IN THE STEEL IN INTERNATIONAL QUEST FOR VICTORY

- Chuah Choo Chiang

True genius in golf is often rare and few superlatives accurately describe Korea's Sungjae Im.

The 24-year-old has morphed from a prodigious talent into a world-class and two-time PGA TOUR winner and will later this month be one of the vital cogs in Captain Trevor Immelman's International Team, who will be determined to dethrone a powerful United States in the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Three years ago, Im was a captain's pick by Ernie Els and boy, did he stand out like a seasoned campaigner as he used Royal Melbourne as a playground to cement his rising star status by delivering an impressive 3.5 points in his team's narrow 16-14 loss.

Im has earned his team's place on merit and Immelman, who was one of Els' assistants, knows exactly the kind of firepower the Korean Ironman can deliver in Charlotte. More importantly, Im has also proven that he can partner up with any player in the side, having played with three different partners in the Fourball and Foursomes sessions at Royal Melbourne.

Aside from being well known for his ball-striking prowess - he has consistently ranked in the top-10 for Strokes Gained: Tee to Green on TOUR this season - Im is also a mean Birdie Machine, an attribute that is vital in match play. He established a new TOUR record in 2021 for most birdies in a season with his haul of 494, breaking a 21-year-old record along the way.