Sungjae Im wins maiden PGA Tour title at Honda Classic
Im becomes youngest ever winner of the Honda Classic.
Sungjae Im clinched his maiden PGA Tour title by becoming the youngest ever winner of the Honda Classic at PGA National.
Im, 21, carded a superb 4-under 66 on a tricky final day of scoring to hold on for a one-stroke victory over Canada's Mackenzie Hughes on 6-under par.
The South Korean, who was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2018/19, praised a recent swing tempo change as one of the biggest reasons for his triumph.
"It really helped," said Im, who has dramatically slowed his swing down. "I felt like I could hit the ball where I wanted to. Now I feel like my backswing is getting slower and slower."
Im hit two of the best shots of the day at the feared Bear Trap, making birdies at two of the toughest holes on the course at the par-3 15th, when sending his tee shot into five feet, and at the par-3 17th when rolling home a 10-footer.
England's Tommy Fleetwood held every chance of forcing a playoff on the final hole but he sent his second shot into the water en route to a bogey-six to finish two strokes back on 4-under par.
"You live or die by the shots you hit," said Fleetwood, who was going in search of his first PGA Tour title despite having won five times on the European Tour and winning the Race to Dubai in 2017.
"That's golf. Of course, I'm frustrated, upset, but I'm fine. I feel like I'm quite a consistent player. I got up there and had a chance of winning. I'm not doing that as much as I would like, but winning is hard.
"You have to keep pushing forward and I'm not getting any worse at golf. I'm getting better."
Much of social media was convinced the World No.10 was put off by cries of "get in the hole" right on his backswing - one of which was BBC Golf's Iain Carter.
Make your mind up in the video clip below...
Yep. Top of the backswing. Why no mention in coverage? pic.twitter.com/uyt8JJP60O
— Iain Carter (@iaincartergolf) March 1, 2020
Im's compatriot Byeong-hun An finished tied fourth with American duo Daniel Berger and Brendan Steele, and also England's Lee Westwood.
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