Im Sung-jae finished runner-up at the SJM Macao Open on Sunday, losing in a playoff to Taiwan's Wang Wei-hsuan after the two players tied at 17-under 263 at Macao Golf and Country Club, according to 뉴스핌.
Im closed with a 3-under 67 over the par-70 layout in the final round, carding six birdies against three bogeys. Wang's eagle on the 18th hole forced the extra hole, and the Taiwanese player came out on top.
The result ended a week in which Im, 28, had held at least a share of the lead after every round. He was tied for first after the opening round, alone in front after the second, and joint leader through 54 holes, 뉴스팜 reported. The Korean was chasing his first title on the Asian Tour.
Why it matters
For Im, the near miss extends a season that began under difficult circumstances. A wrist injury sustained during winter training delayed the start of his campaign, and his form arrived later than usual, per 뉴스핌.
The consequences were significant. Im failed to qualify for the Tour Championship, the final event of the FedExCup Playoffs, ending a run of seven consecutive appearances there since his PGA Tour debut.
There were signs of a turnaround before Macao. Im tied for fifth at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the opening playoff event, in August, then tied for 10th at the BMW Championship. He followed that with a ninth-place finish at the PGA Tour's Baker's Bay Classic — misspelled in the source as 베이커런트 클래식 — giving him three straight top-10s going into this week.
A first Asian Tour win would have been a notable addition to a resume built largely in the United States. Instead, the week becomes another close call in a season of recovery.
How the final round unfolded
Im's start on Sunday suggested he might pull clear. Birdies on the par-4 second and third holes moved him two shots ahead on his own, 뉴스핌 reported.
The lead did not last. He dropped a shot at the par-4 fifth, then gave back another at the par-4 10th, returning to level par for the day. The round was uneven, with scoring chances traded against mistakes.
Im appeared to have taken control late. Birdies at the par-3 17th and the par-5 18th put him two shots in front, and a first Asian Tour title looked within reach.
Wang answered at the last. His eagle on the par-5 18th erased the deficit and sent the tournament to a playoff, where the Taiwanese player completed the win. Korean outlets described the outcome as a narrow defeat, with 뉴스1 and 글로벌이코노믹 both framing it as a loss to Wang.
What to watch
Im's three consecutive top-10 finishes before Macao suggest his game is trending in the right direction after the wrist setback. Whether that form carries into the remainder of his PGA Tour schedule — and whether he can convert a lead into a trophy — is the question hanging over his season.
