Im Sung-jae secures crucial PGA Tour playoff advance

Scottie Scheffler won the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first event of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Playoffs, on Sunday at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. Scheffler shot 4 under in the final round to finish at 17 under for the tournament, cruising to a dominant eight-stroke victory.

But another big winner of the tournament was arguably Im Sung-jae, who made five bogeys in the final round and dropped four shots. Im slipped from a share of second place to a tie for fifth on the last day, but over the tournament as a whole, he climbed 13 spots in the FedEx Cup standings, from 53rd to 40th.

Not only did Im post the largest ranking jump of any player in the field, but he was also the only player who started outside the top 50 to qualify for the BMW Championship, the Playoffs' second event.

Advancing to the second round was a make-or-break moment for Im's season. With the PGA Tour set to restructure into a two-tier system starting in 2028, securing a spot in next year's points-heavy "signature events" is critical. The top 50 players who reach the second Playoffs event earn entry into every signature event next season except the majors.

Tom Kim's experience shows what can go wrong when a player misses that cut. In the final round of the 2024 Playoffs opener, Kim attempted an aggressive approach to the par-5 16th green in an effort to reach it in two, but the ball landed in a bunker, leading to a bogey — and he then collapsed with back-to-back double bogeys on the final two holes.

Kim ultimately slipped to 51st in the FedEx Cup rankings, missing out on full access to signature events in 2025. He had to claw his way back from "square one" before finally rebounding with a win at this year's Genesis Scottish Open.

While Im smiled, the player left with the bitterest tears was Keith Mitchell. Mitchell fell from 49th to 51st in the FedEx Cup rankings, becoming the only player to drop out of the top 50.

On the final hole, his tee shot appeared headed for the water but came to rest precariously on a slope by the water's edge — a stroke of bad luck in disguise. Mitchell took off his shoes and socks, waded in and played his second shot from the slope, only to see the ball go into the water anyway, leading to a bogey after his fourth shot found the green.

The outcome stung all the more because had his tee shot actually gone into the water and drawn a penalty stroke, he could have played his third shot from a normal lie and had a shot at saving par. Mitchell dropped two strokes that day and finished the tournament at 1 under, tied for 34th.

Meanwhile, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler carded five birdies and one bogey for a 4-under round, finishing at 17 under overall — eight shots clear of runner-up Kim Si-woo, who finished at 9 under, for a commanding win.

Scheffler had not added to his win total since capturing his first tournament of the season at The American Express, despite five runner-up finishes and 11 top-10s in between. At the Playoffs opener, he put together a complete runaway.

Starting the day two shots ahead, Scheffler pulled away to a five-shot lead as co-leaders Im and Sam Burns each dropped two strokes early. After a stroke of misfortune at the par-5 third, where his approach near the green struck a sprinkler head and rolled into the water, Scheffler reeled off five birdies and put the tournament away early.

Among Korean players, Kim Si-woo carded two birdies with no bogeys to finish alone in second at 9 under. It was his third runner-up finish of the season, his sixth top-5, and his 11th top-10. He rose from seventh to fourth in the FedEx Cup rankings.

Tom Kim dropped one shot to finish at 5 under, tied for 12th, holding steady at 26th in the FedEx Cup rankings. All three Korean players advanced comfortably to the second round.

BY SUNG HO-JUN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]